RAMBLES 


IK 


EASTERN    ASIA, 


INCLUDING 


CHINA  AND   MANILLA, 


WITH    NOTES    OF 


THE  VOYAGE  TO  CHINA,  EXCURSIONS  IN  MANILLA,  HONG-KONG,  CAN- 
TON, SHANGHAI,  NINGPOO,  AMOY,  POUCHOW,  AND  MACAO. 


BY 

B.  L.  BALL,  M.  D 


BOSTON: 

JAMES   FRENCH   AND    COMPANY. 
1855. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by 

JAMES  FRENCH  &  CO.  AND  B.  L.  BALL, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


St«r«oljp«d  by 

HOBART   *   ROBBIK8, 

K<*  bf iud  Tjpe  u>4  Stereotype  Fcnuderj, 

•••TO* . 


PREFACE 


WHEN  the  writer  of  the  following  pages  left  America,  on  a 
foreign  tour,  the  idea  of  writing  a  book,  as  the  results  of  his  ex- 
perience, was  by  no  means  entertained  by  him.  But,  on  his  return, 
having  visited  China,  Java,  Singapore,  Kamschatka,  tfie  Arctic 
Ocean,  and  the  Sandwich  Islands,  &c.,  —  completing  a  voyage 
around  the  world,  —  he  was  induced,  by  friends  abroad  and  at 
home,  to  give  to  the  public  an  account  of  his  travels. 

In  preparing  the  manuscript,  which  was  from  the  notes  of  his 
private  journal,  it  was  found  that  all  could  not  be  contained  in  a 
single  volume ;  accordingly  this  work  has  been  confined  to  China 
and  Manilla,  and  the  other  countries  omitted,  at  least  for  the 
present. 

With  the  view  of  reducing  the  work  to  the  present  size,  many 
passages  have  been  withheld ;  which,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  suf- 
ficiently account  for  any  apparent  discrepancies. 

And  here  the  writer  would  take  the  opportunity  to  extend  to 
his  friends  abroad,  mentioned  and  unmentioned,  a  grateful  remem- 
brance for  the  many  kindnesses  and  hospitalities  received  at  their 
hands.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  with  pleasure  he  takes  the  liberty 
of  inscribing  to  them  his  KAMBLES  IN  EASTERN  ASIA. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 

Letter  to  a  friend.  —  Commencement  of  the  Journal.  —  Letter  of  Adieu  to  Parents.  — 
Out  at  Sea.  —  A  Novelty  in  Cookery.  —  Storm  at  Sea.  —  Letter  to  a  Brother,  etc., .  .  11 

CHAPTER    II. 

Sunday  at  Sea. — The  Nautilus. — Sea  Fare.  —  Altercation  on  Shipboard.  —  Flying 
Fisli The  Booby.  —  A  School  of  Porpoises, 22 

CHAPTER    III. 

Equator.  —  Crossing  the  Line. — Ferdinand  Narkona.  —  Coast  of  Brazil. — Tedious- 
ness  of  the  Sea.  —  Phosphorescent  Appearances.  —  A  Dream.  —  Boisterous 
Weather,  and  Table  Discomforts, 32 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Sea-birds  off  the  Cape.  —  Tristan  de  Acuhna.  —  Sunset  Scene.  —  Storm  Scene.  —  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  — The  Black  Cloud.  — Birds  and  Fish.  —  Porpoise  taken.  —  Fourth 
of  July  on  Board, 41 

CHAPTER    V. 

Rainbow.  —  Gale.  —  Storm  Scenery.  —  Sea  Motion.  —  Albatross.  —  Sea  Living — 
Tropic  of  Capricorn.  —  Phosphorescent  Light, 60 

CHAPTER    VI.      . 

Description  of  Flying-fish. — Look  out  for  Land. — The  Booby.  —  Land  Birds.  —  Land 
in  Sight.  —  Water-spout.  —  Straits  of  Sunda.  —  Java, 57 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Inhabitants  of  Java.  —  Dress.  —  Natives  Bartering  Commodities.  —  Cushman.  —  Ap- 
pearance of  Angier.  —  Landing.  —  Reception  by  the  Governor.  —  Cushman's  House 
and  Family  — Mohammedan  Mosque.  —  Leave  Angier.  —  Danger  from  Rocks,  .  .  .  62 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Leave  Java.  —  Dangerous  Position.  —  Sumatra  Shores.  —  The  Two  Brothers.  —  Gasper 

Straits. — St.   Lucas   Island Turtle   Meat.  —  Calm   Weather.  —  Intense  Heat. — 

Frolicking  Fish.  —  Letter  to  a  Brother.  —  Unwelcome  Sea-baths, 72 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Flying-flsh  for  Food.  —  Chinese  Fishing-boats.  —  Islands.  —  Accident.  —  Chinese  Pilot- 
boat.  —  Arrival  at  Hong-Kong.  —  Appearance  of  the  Place.  —  Americans.  —  Letter  to 
a  Sister,  and  Incidents.  —  Hong-Kong.  —  Chiuese  Servants.  — Their  Necessity  to 
Foreigners.  —  Chinese  Small  Feet,  etc., 78 

CHAPTER   X. 

Description  of  Hong-Kong.  —  Walk  through  the  City.  —  People.  —  Different  Nations. 

—  Letter  to  Sister  II.  —  Typhoon:  its  Violence  and  Effects.  —  Distinctions  among 
Servants.  —  Sedan  Chairs —  Tricks  of  Chinese  Boatmen, 89 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Leaving  for  Canton.  —  Fishing  Crafts. — Islands,  Hirers,  Forts  and  Pagodas,  etc. — 
Whampoa.  —  The  Chop.  —  Boston  Jack.  — Arrival  in  Canton.  — Appearance  of  the 
City.  —  Mosquito  Annoyances, 96 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Commissioner  Davis  and  Governor  Su.  —  View  from  Dr.  Parker's  House.  —  River.  — 
Boat  Population.  —  Flower-garden.  —  Visit  to  Whampoa. — Religious  Worship  at  Can- 
ton. —  Chinese  Shopkeepers.  —  Visit  to  Dr.  B.  —  My  Boy's  Chase —  Boat  Pulling. 

—  Diplomacy  of  the  American  Minister  and  Chinese  Official, 104 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

Visit  to  a  Pagoda.  —  Tour  around  the  City  Walls.  —Visit  to  Temple,  etc., 110 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Visit  to  the  Country  Residences  of  Powtinquaand  Howqua. — Execution  of  Criminals. — 
Noisy  Cries  of  Chinese.  —  Typhoon,  and  Overflowing  of  the  River, 122 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Beggars.  — Sing-song. —Visit  to  Leper  Village.  —  Chinese  Superstitions.  —  Dogs  and 
Cats  as  Food.  —  Walk  with  a  Chinaman.  —  Voyage  to  Manilla, 129 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Arrival  at  Manilla. — Hotel. — Calcada. — Orang-outang.  —  Feast  of  Santa  Cruz. 

Interviews  with  the  People.  —  Indian  Theatre,  etc., 140 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Letter  to  a  Brother.  —Excursion  to  Lagunas.  —  Crossing  the  Lakes.  —  Indian  House. 

—  Letter  to  a  Sister.  — Excursion,  continued.  — Crocodile  Lake. —  Ducks, 149 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Continuation  of  Excursion  to  the  Lagunas  and  Volcano.  —  Arrival  at  Columbo.  —  Per- 
plexity of  Landing.  —  Preparations  and  Departure  for  Volcano.  —  Ride  by  Night.  — 
Detention  at  an  Indian  House, 157 


CONTENTS.  VII 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

Distant  View  of  the  Volcano.  —  Tarl  Lake.  —  Ascent  of  the  Mountain.  —  Character  of 
the  Volcano.  —  View  from  the  Edge  of  Crater,  etc., 166 

„  CHAPTER  XX. 

Suspicious  Indians.  —  Dismal  Night.  —  Indians  Feasting  and  Dancing.  —  Disagreeable 
Predicament, 173 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Expedition  to  a  Cave.  —  A  Call  at  San  Pedro  Macato.  —  Gorge  of  tke  Mountains, 
and  Rapids.  —  Exploration  of  a  Cave,  etc., 180 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

Letter.  —  Casino.  —  Second  Excursion  to  a  Volcano.  —  Indian  Town.  —  Town-hall,  or 
Council-house.  —  Indian  Ceremonies.  —  Volcano  View  by  Night,  etc., 184 

CHAPTER   XXIIJ. 

Visits  to  Families  of  the  Spanish —  Cigars  and  Smoking.  —  Feast  of  Pandackan.  — 
Incidental  Descriptions.  —  Country-seat  of  Dona  M ,  etc., 191 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Savages  at  the  Theatre.  —  Marriages. — Departure  from  Manilla,  etc., 198 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

Passage  from  Manilla  to  Hong-Kong —  Letters  from  Home.  —  Chinese  Servants — 
Their  Cheating,  etc.  —  Chinese  Pirates.  —  Opening  of  the  City  Gates, 202 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Treaty  of  the  English  and  Chinese.  —  Letter  to  a  Sister.  — Visit  to  a  Chinese  School 

Letter  to  Dr.  F.  —  Chinese  Edicts.  —  Punishment  of  Chinese  Offenders.  —  Dilemma,  213 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

Leave  for  Shanghae.  —  Ninepin  Island.  —  Annoyances  from  Cockroaches.  — Island  of 

Formosa.  —  Chusan    Islands.  —  Yantz-tze-kiang  Kiver Woosung.  —  Arrival   at 

Shanghae, 219 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

New  Boy.  —  Dr.  Lockhart's  Hospital.  —  Walk  into  the  City.  —  Visits  with  Sedan-chairs. 

—  Loss  of  Vessels.  —  Missionaries.  —  Country  around  Shanghae.  —  Letter  to  a  Sister. 

—  Chinese  Ladies,  etc., «  227 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

Letter  to  a  Brother.  —  Thoughts  of  Home.  —  Visit  to  Pagoda.  —  Interview  with  a  Mis- 
sionary. —  Duck-hatching  Factory.  —  Visit  to  Missionary  School, 236 


VIII  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

• 

Fourth  of  July  In  China.  —  Departure  for  Ningpoo.  —  Woosung.  —  On  Board  Portu- 
guese Lorcha. —  Excursion  with  Sir.  West  —  Nuwong. —  Mountain  Ascent. — 
funeral  Observances, 212 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

Departure  for  Teen-Tung.  —  Mountain  Chairs.  —  Monastery.  —  First  Building  of  the 
Temple. — Other  Buildings.  —  Fourth  or  Ancestral  Temple.  —  Lady  and  Priest. — 
Pagan  Monastic  Observations, 254 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

Excursion  to  Teen-Tung  Monastery,  continued.  —  Description  of  Temples,  Monks,  Re- 
ligious Observances,  etc., 261 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

Teen-Tung   Mountains.  —  Ascent.  —  Deceptive   Peaks.  —  View  from  the  Summit 

Descent.  —  Monastic  Mummery,  etc., 270 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

Departure  from  the  Monastery.  —  Incidents  by  the  Way.  —  Chinese  City  of  Machtzeien,  277 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

Crossing  the  Lake.  —  Causeway.  —  Quarries.  —  Chinese  Workmen.  —Return  to  Ning- 
poo. —  Small  Feet.  —  Ningpoo  Pagoda House  of  Chinese  Doctor.  —  Trip  into  the 

City.  —  Excursion  to  Chusan — English  Cemetery.  —  Return  to  Ningpoo.  —  Tea- 
drinking.  —  Infanticide, 287 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

Chinese  Opium-smoking. — Demands  of  Ransom-money  of  Pirates. — Worms  in  Teeth. 
—  Impositions  of  an  Old  Woman. —  Visit  to  Lucong.  —  Leave  for  Shanghae  by  the 
way  of  Chapoo,  and  across  the  Country, 298 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

Letter  to  a  Slater.  —  Engage  Passage  by  the  "  Coquette  "  for  Hong-Kong.  —  Walk 
about  the  City.  —  Great  Wall  of  China.  —  Letter  to  a  Sister, 308 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

Letter  to  a  Sister.  —  Tea  Shipment  —  Chinese  Promises.  —  Chinese  Boatmen.  —  Serv- 
ants, etc.  —  Letter  to  a  Brother.  —  Departure  from  Shanghae.  —Arrival  at  Amoy,  .  313 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

i~~,BBil  to_tl«P«'ior--VUt  at  the  English  Consulate.  -  Chinese 

.  —  Temples  at  Ainoy, 7  ....  .    .  318 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER    XL. 

Trip  across  the  Channel.  — Ramble  upon  the  Hill.  — Visit  to  the  Six  Islands.  —  Equip- 
ment of  the  Receiving-ships.  —  Sail  for  Fou-chow. —  Stop  at  Chin-chew.  —  Continu- 
ance of  the  Passage, 337 

CHAPTER    XLI. 

Passage  to  Fou-chow,  continued.  —  Arrive  at  Minn  River  Station.  —  Sporting  on  Shore. 

—  Boat  Trip  up  the  River.  —  Disagreeable  Position  on  Landing   at  Fou-chow.  — 
Walk  in  the  City.  —  Fou-chow  Bridge, 345 

CHAPTER    XLII. 

Letter  to  a  Sister.  —  Chinese  Culprit.  —  Ride  and  Walk  on  the  City  Walls.  —  Chinese 
Troops.  —  Target-shooting.  —  Hot  Springs.  —  Theatre.  —  Audience.  —  Retreat.  — 
Chinese  Ladies, 355 

CHAPTER   XLIII. 

Leave  Fou-chow.  —  Escape  of  Missionaries  from  Pirates.  —  On  Board  the  "  Denia " 
for  Hong-Kong.  —  Call  at  Chin-chew.  —  Amoy  and  Namoo.  —  Arrive  at  Hong-Kong,  362 

CHAPTER    XLIV. 

Letter  to  a  Sister-in-law.  —  Visit  to  the  Second  Bar  Pagoda.  —  Singular  Rocks,  or 
Palisadoes.  —  Curious  Basin.  —  Row  of  Caves.  —  Crumbling  Pagoda.  —  Ancient 
Wall.  —  Letter  to  a  Brother.  —  Execution  Ground  at  Canton.  —  Statistics  of  Exe- 
cutions for  a  Number  of  Years.  —  Descriptions  of  the  Factories.  —  The  Lord's  Prayer 
in  Chinese.  —  Letters  on  the  Manufacture  and  Preparation  of  Tea, 363 

CHAPTER   XLV. 

Letter  to  a  Brother.  —  Dutch  Folly.  —  Excursion  to  Golden  Hill.— Visit  to  China- 
man's Family.  —  Chinese  Squeeze-pigeon.  —  Medicine  among  the  Chinese.  —  Treat- 
ing a  Patient.  —  A  Procession.  —  New  Year's.  —  Cruelty  to  Beggars.  —  Chinese  Cries,  384 

CHAPTER   XLVI. 

A  Sunday  in  China.  —  Lost  in  the  Streets.  —  A  Chinese  Rabble.  —  Chinese  System 
of  Names.  —  Trip  up  the  River.  —  Gates.  —  Pen  Pagoda.  —  Sugar  Manufactory.  — 
Mob.  —  Missiles  Thrown.  —  Landing.  —  Dishonesty  of  Boatmen.  —  Of  Servants.  — 
Counterfeits,  etc., 396 

CHAPTER   XLVII. 

Letter  to  a  Sister.  —  Arrival  at  Macao.  —  Aspect  by  Evening.  —  Mr.  Smith's  Hotel. 

—  Malicious  Boatmen.  —  The  Praya  Grande.  —  View  from    the  Hotel.  —  Public 
Square.  —  Visit  to  the  Cathedral,  Cemetery,  Mr.  Marque's  Garden,  and  Barrier,   .   .  409 


0          5 


_8 8 


JOURNAL   OF  TRAVELS 

TO 

CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 


CHAPTER    I. 

LETTER  TO  A  FRIEND. COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  JOURNAL. LETTER  OF 

ADIEU  TO  PARENTS. OUT  AT  SEA. A  NOVELTY  IN  COOKERY. 

STORM  AT  SEA. LETTER  TO  A  BROTHER,  ETC. 

Boston,  May  7th,  1848. 
DR.  E.  F.  B. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  am  off  to-morrow.  Yesterday  Mr.  Bacon 
said,  "  If  the  ship  does  not  get  off  to-day,  she  will  on  Monday ;  and 
if  not  by  wind,  she  will  by  steam  ;  "  so,  therefore,  I  have  now  only  one 
day  more  before  I  leave  this  country. 

You  will  be  surprised,  no  doubt,  to  learn  of  this  sudden  movo 
of  mine  ;  but  it  is  not  an  impulsive  thought,  having  been  meditated 
for  some  years.  You  may  recollect  that,  when  we  closed  our  course  at 
the  medical  school  here,  we  arranged  to  go  to  Paris  together,  to  spend 
a  year  or  two  at  the  lectures,  and,  afterwards,  to  travel  in  other  parts 
of  Europe.  You  went,  and  I  remained  behind.  As  each  succeeding 
spring  has  returned,  I  have  nearly  resolved  to  go  alone,  and  as  often 
have  failed.  Two  or  three  weeks  since,  during  an  evening  visit,  con- 
versation turned  upon  the  subject  of  travelling,  and  the  lady  of  the 
house,  Mrs.  G.,  remarked,  that  she  should  think  I  would  like  to 
^journey.  I  replied  that  it  was  what  I  had  always  much  desired,  but 
that  I  had  not  yet  decided  where  to  go.  She  suggested  that  China 
was  an  interesting  country.  I  thought  favorably  of  it,  and,  return- 
ing home,  it  occupied  my  mind  much  of  the  night.  I  considered 
that  China  is  a  country  as  distant  as  any  other  ;  that  it  is  as  diverse 
from  ours  as  any ;  that  the  people  are  as  much  our  antipodes  in 
dress,  customs,  religion,  &c.,  as  in  their  geographical  position  ;  and  I 


12  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

thought  I  should  like  to  make  the  experiment  of  attempting  to  intro- 
duce dentistry  and  medicine  among  the  Chinese.  Some  other  con- 
siderations impressed  me  favorably,  and,  before  morning,  I  had 
determined  on  a  tour  to  China.  Before  this,  the  thoughts  of  a  voyage 
"  to  the  other  side  of  the  globe"  so  far  away,  had  deterred  me  from 
considering  it  for  more  than  a  few  moments  at  a  time  ;  but  now  it 
seemed  an  easy  matter.  I  can  go  and  return  within  a  year ;  or,  at 
most,  two  years  will  be  the  extent  that  I  should  wish  to  be  gone. 

During  the  day,  I  ascertained  that  a  vessel  was  ready  to  sail  soon, 
and  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.,  and  others,  were  to  be  among  the  pas- 
sengers, and  I  resolved  at  once  to  go ;  but  sickness  in  the  family 
prevented.  A  few  days  since,  I  engaged  passage  in  the  "  Thomas  W. 
Sears,"  which  was  to  have  sailed  yesterday;  but  the  want  of  wind 
prevented,  and  leaves  us,  at  this  present  time,  suspended  between 
Saturday  and  Monday.  Yours,  very  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 

Boston,  May  8th.  —  Last  night  was  my  last  at  the  Winthrop 
House.  I  spent  the  latter  part  of  the  evening  in  the  company  of  a 
few  friends,  socially ;  and  I  occupied  for  the  night  a  part  of  the 
pleasant  quarters  of  my  friend,  Mr.  A.  H.  So  little  did  he  think 
I  was  going  abroad,  that,  when  I  remarked  to  him  that  I  wished 
to  rise  early  in  the  morning,  as  I  was  to  leave  for  China  during 
the  day,  he  said,  "  Yes,  very  likely.  I  expect  to  go,  too."  But 
this  morning  I  was  up  early,  and  awaiting  the  summons  for  our 
departure,  which  I  expected  would  have  been  about  noon  ;  yet  I 
busied  myself  in  purchasing  various  little  articles,  not  all  of  which 
do  I  believe  a  person  would  get  through  with,  had  he  six  months 
before  him  for  its  accomplishment.  I  took  leave  of  Mr.  H.,  who 
still  looked  doubtful,  though  a  little  less  so,  and  appeared  to  express 
in  his  countenance,  "Perhaps  he  is  going.  I  shouldn't  be  sur- 
prised :  "  and  so  we  parted. 

Nine  o'clock  came,  and  with  it  my  brother  J. ;  and,  directly 
after,  in  great  haste,  came  another  messenger,  saying  that  I  must 
hasten  to  the  wharf,  as  the  vessel  was  ready  to  sail,  and  all  were 
on  board  awaiting  my  arrival.  I  started,  met  my  brother-in-law, 
Mr.  M.,  who  accompanied  me,  stopping  only  at  the  office  of  the 
Advertiser,  to  procure  a  file  of  papers,  and  soon  arrived  at  Con- 
stitution Wharf.  All  was  ready;  the  sails  set,  and  the  vessel  held 
only  by  its  cable.  A  large  party  was  congregated  on  the  end  of  the 
wharf,  and  each  person  —  crew,  officers  and  passengers  —  was  taking 
leave  of  his  own  particular  friends.  I  took  leave  of  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  a  few  friends,  regretting  that  I  could  not  see  others  who 


LETTER  TO   PARENTS.  13 

were  to  have  been  there  an  hour  or  two  later,  and  then  stepped 
quickly  on  board,  somewhat  afraid  that  the  vessel  would  sail  even 
then  without  rue. 

The  cable  was  loosened,  the  vessel  floated  with  the  tide,  a  light  air 
pressed  the  sails,  and  we  commenced  our  voyage.  The  breeze  soon 
freshened  a  little,  and  the  city  began  slowly  to  recede  from  view. 
The  sailors,  as  they  hoisted  more  sail,  broke  forth  into  a  loud  song, 
which,  to  my  ears,  sounded  "  Cheerily,  cheerily,"  enough  ;  but  it 
was  singularly  and  strangely  impressive.  Soon  we  could  hardly  dis- 
tinguish people  on  the  wharves,  with  whom,  by  the  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs, we  exchanged  our  final  adieus.  At  last,  people,  wharves, 
vessels  and  houses,  were  all  blended  in  one  mass,  which  gradually  dis- 
appeared from  our  sight. 

The  captain  having  introduced  Mr.  R.  Rotch,  of  New  Bedford,  Mr. 
Dane,  of  Boston,  and  Dr.  B.  L.  Ball,  of  Boston,  to  each  other,  as  the 
passengers  of  the  "Thomas  W.  Sears,"  and  wished  us  a  pleasant 
passage,  we  turned  our  faces  towards  our  respective  quarters. 

LETTER   TO   PARENTS. 

On  board  ship  "  Thomas  W.  Sears," 
Boston  Harbor,  May  8. 

MY  DEAR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  :  I  have  now  commenced  my  an- 
ticipated voyage  to  China.  I  think  you  will  be  surprised  to  be  thus 
informed  ;  for,  when  I  took  leave  of  you  at  Northboro,  you  said,  by 
your  countenances,  "  You  may  bid  good-by,  but  we  do  not  fear  your 
carrying  that  project  into  effect ;  you  may  start,  but  you  will  not 
leave  the  city."  That  such  were  your  thoughts  was  as  evident  as  if 
you  had  plainly  spoken  them.  I  was  not  quite  sure  myself  that  I 
should  go  through  with  it ;  and  therefore  I  thought  I  would  say  little 
about  it  at  first. 

We  left  the  wharf  at  half-past  nine  A.  M.,  to-day,  and  had  a  fine 
sail  until  near  Governor's  Island,  when  the  wind  died  suddenly  away, 
and  we  came  to  anchor  under  the  fortifications  of  Fort  Warren.  It  is 
now  about  four  p.  M.,  and  we  are  yet  stationary.  The  pilot  has  just 
remarked  that  there  is  a  prospect  of  a  good  wind  at  sundown,  and 
that  he  should  take  advantage  of  it.  I  hardly  know  whether  to  feel 
pleased  or  sorry.  At  first,  1  thought  I  would  not  care  if  something 
should  detain  us,  so  that  I  might  go  back  and  take  a  "  genuine  "  leave 
of  you.  But  I  have  concluded,  as  we  are  all  on  board  and  fairly  off, 
that  we  had  better  remain  so  until  we  arrive  here  on  the  homeward 
voyage. 

It  is  now  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  there  is 

a  prospect  of  our  remaining  here  all  night.     The  motion  of  the  vessel 

here  is  anything  but  agreeable,  chained  as  she  is  by  the  head,  and 

rolling  from  side  to  side.     I  am  not  yet  sea-sick,  but  I  perceive  some- 

2 


14  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

thing  a  little  peculiar,  which  admonishes  me  that  I  had  better  get  into 
my  berth  in  anticipition.  The  other  two  passengers  have  been  gone 
some  time  to  theirs;  so,  "  good-by  "  once  more.  The  cakes,  pre- 
serves, &c.,  with  the  notes  from  L.,  M.,  II.,  S.,  and  mother,  are 
received ;  but  I  have  hardly  noticed  them  yet.  I  hope  when  I  return, 
as  I  trust  I  may,  that  I  shall  find  you  all  well, —  the  same  as  I  leave 
you. 

May  $lh.  —  Here  we  are  in  the  same  position  this  morning  at  five 
o'clock  that  we  were  in  last  night.  They  are  now  hoisting  anchor 
for  another  move.  The  wind  is  in  the  east  against  us,  and  it  begins 
to  rain  a  little.  I  am  afraid  we  shall  have  a  bad  time  in  getting 
out. 

The  ship  is  now  under  way,  and  the  pilot  is  attempting  to  take 
her  "  outside."  There  is  considerable  motion  to  the  vessel  this  morn- 
ing. My  stomach  feels  in  a  precarious  condition,  and  my  head  sym- 
pathizes not  a  little.  My  movements  are  not  very  graceful  when  I 
attempt  to  walk,  but  I  hope  to  get  over  this  kind  of  feeling  in  the 
course  of  a  week. 

Messrs.  Rotch  and  Dane,  my  fellow-passengers,  are  preparing 
notes  to  send  home  by  the  pilot,  as  that  will  be  their  last  opportunity. 
Neither  of  them  yet  complain  of  sea-sickness.  The  captain  expects  it, 
and  is  promenading  back  and  forth  on  deck  to  ward  off  its  effects  for 
the  time. 

Half  past  eleven  o'clock  A.  M. —  The  pilot  says  he  shall  leave  the 
ship  to  the  captain  after  we  have  gone  a  mile  or  two  further.  The 
captain  is,  so  for  as  I  can  judge,  a  pleasant  man.  He  insisted  yester- 
day upon  our  going  into  the  cabin  and. 'taking  a  glass  of  beer  in  each 
other's  company,  at  the  commencement  of  our  voyage,  and  he  gave,  as 
a  sentiment,  "  Hoping  that  we  may  all  continue  in  harmony  with 
each  other,  from  the  first  to  the  last  of  the  voyage."  We  all,  of  course, 
concurred  in  that  sentiment.  Mr.  Rotch  and  Mr.  Dane  appear  very 
agreeable  and  well-disposed  so  far.  We  have  pretty  thoroughly  used 
up  the  time  in  conversation,  and  have  become  quite  well  acquainted. 
I  think  we  shall  remain  on  the  best  of  terms  with  each  other. 

We  are  off  now,  at  the  rate  of  seven  miles  an  hour,  with  most  of 
the  sails  set.  There  were  a  number  of  articles  I  intended  to  have  pro- 
vided myself  with,  but  could  only  think  of  them  when  out  of  reach 
of  the  wharf.  I  find  the  pen  from  J.  comes  into  use  very  soon. 
The  ring  from  E.  B.  looks  well,  though  I  have  not  much  fancy  for 
jewelry.  E,  C.  B.'s  pencil  is  very  convenient  in  taking  notes,  &c. 
But  the  pilot  is  off,  and  the  notes  must  go.  Adieu  —  again  adieu  ! 

B.  L.  B. 

Boston  Bay,  Tuesday,  May  Qlh. —  Here  I  will  commence  a  little 
journalizing  of  our  voyage  —  that  is  to  be  —  to  China. 

The  "  Thomas  W.  Sears  "  is  considered  a  first-class  vessel —  a  ship, 
I  think  they  said,  of  about  eight  hundred  tons.  Captain  Graves, 
from  Salem,  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  good  seaman,  and  fully 
competent  to  the  command.  Mr.  Hood,  of  Salem,  and  Mr.  Burgess, 


OFF    CAPE    COD.  15 

of  Barnstable,  arc  the  first  and  second  officers,  and  are  competent  to 
the  discharge  of  their  duties.  With  these,  and  twenty  fine,  hardy 
sailors  for  a  crew,  we,  the  three  passengers,  think  we  shall  not 
regret  having  committed  ourselves  to  their  care  for  the  next  four 
months. 

Yesterday  we  left  Boston,  and  for  this  whole  long  day  we  have  been 
sailing  —  sailing  —  sailing  !  Now,  at  evening,  we  are  leaving  Cape 
Cod  behind  us,  —  a  blue  bank  in  the  distant  western  horizon. 

I  arose  early  this  morning,  and  the  first  thing  I  knew,  after  turning 
out  of  my  berth  and  stepping  upon  the  floor,  was  that  I  had  landed 
against  my  state-room  door.  What  does  all  this  mean  ?  thought  I. 
Before  I  could  fairly  recover  myself,  I  pitched  against  it  again  !  I 
sprang  and  clenched  my  berth-board  with  both  hands,  thinking  that 
my  head  was  out  of  its  equilibrium.  On  looking  about,  I  discovered 
where  the  trouble  was.  My  head  was  right,  but  a  strong  side-wind 
caused  the  vessel  to  careen  towards  the  opposite  side ;  so  that,  if  I 
attempted  to  walk,  I  must  lean  backward,  or  be  pitched  headlong  for- 
ward. "  No  wonder  that  I  fell  against  the  door  !  "  thought  I,  endeav- 
oring to  excuse  myself  for  such  an  act ;  and  it  was  with  no  little 
difficulty  that  I  succeeded  in  washing  and  dressing.  All  day  we  could 
not  get  over  the  singular  sensations  produced  by  being  obliged  in 
the  cabin  to  lean  forward  when  walking  one  way,  and  backward 
when  walking  the  other.  It  was  like  going  against  a  powerful 
wind. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  breakfasted,  and  the  table  was  so  much  canted 
on  one  side  that  a  rack  was  necessary  to  keep  the  dishes  from  sliding 
off.  It  was  made  of  thin  pieces  of  wood  crossed  and  standing  edge- 
wise, forming  rows  of  squares,  which,  fastened  on  the  table,  receive 
the  dishes.  There  was,  now  and  then,  some  motion,  and  I  could  not 
help  often  thinking,  "  Well,  this  is  not  quite  like  breakfasting  at  the 
Winthrop  House,  those  comfortable  quarters  which  I  have  so  re- 
cently forsaken  ;  but  we  arc  in  for  it."  During  the  forenoon,  the 
pilot  delivered  up  his  charge  of  the  vessel,  and  the  captain  assumed 
the  command. 

At  half-past  one  we  dined  :  had  a  very  good  dinner  of  soup,  roast 
beef,  potatoes,  hard  crackers,  pickles  and  pudding.  During  our  meal 
an  amusing  incident  occurred,  though,  at  first,  it  was  a  little  startling. 
We  had  come  to  the  pudding,  which  looked  very  nice.  On  tasting,  it 
was  very  sour.  We  looked  at  each  other  to  see  who  would  speak  first, 
and  proceeded  to  eat.  One  remarked  to  another, 


16  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

"  What  kind  of  pudding  is  this?  " 

"  This  has  a  queer  taste !  " 

"  It  is  very  sweet !  " 

"  It  is  very  sour !  "  &c. 

We  continued  to  eat  of  it,  though  it  was  so  rich  that  we  could  eat 
but  little  at  a  time.  We  thought  it  might  be  made  tart  by  lemons, 
and  we  called  it  pretty  good.  The  captain  was  also  at  a  loss.  Per- 
ceiving that  it  produced  a  strange  sensation  in  the  throat,  all  stopped 
eating  to  consider.  No  one  spoke;  but,  from  the  peculiar  look  of 
countenance,  it  could  be  easily  seen  that  each  had  "  poison"  in  hia 
mind.  The  captain  called  out  to  the  black  — 

"  Steward  !  " 

"Sir,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Here,"  says  the  captain. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  steward,  entering  the  cabin. 

"  What  did  you  make  this  pudding  of?  " 

"  Rice-flour  and  eggs,  sir." 

"  How  many  eggs  did  you  put  in  ?  " 

"  Four,  sir." 

"  Well,  you  must  not  use  the  eggs  so  fast ;  we  shall  want  some  to 
boil,  by  and  by.  What  else  did  you  put  into  the  pudding  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  sir." 

"  Yes,  you  have  ;  the  pudding  is  sour." 

"  Well,  I  do  not  know  what  it  is,  sir.     I  put  in  nothing  else,  sir." 

Mr.  R.  thought  it  must  be  made  of  lemons.  I  said  I  thought  the 
flour  might  be  sour  ;  but  revolved  in  my  mind  that  some  bad  mistake 
might  have  been  made,  and  tried  to  think  in  what  part  of  my  trunk 
the  emetics  were  packed,  for  they  might  be  needed.  We  concluded, 
however,  to  have  the  flour  examined,  and  further  eating  was  suspended. 
The  steward  brought  the  box  of  flour  which  he  had  used ;  I  tasted  it, 
and  it  was  sour,  sure  enough.  On  further  examination,  it  proved  to 
be  cream  of  tartar  ;  the  steward  had  used  cream  of  tartar  instead  of 
flour  !  We  all  burst  into  a  laugh,  and  the  other  box  was  brought.  It 
was  marked  "  rice-flour,"  and,  on  tasting,  proved  to  be  such.  We 
proceeded  with  our  dinner,  and  made  a  good  finish  with  a  pudding 
made  of  eggs,  sugar  and  cream  of  tartar,  and  Concluded  that  no  medi- 
cine was  necessary.  The  steward  slunk  away,  ashamed  of  the  blunder 
he  had  made. 

Towards  evening,  we  saw  the  last  of  Cape  Cod.  As  the  land  dis- 
appeared, we  gazed  on  it  till  even  the  blue  haze  which  surrounded  it 


AT   SEA.  17 

•was  no  longer  visible.  Casting  some  expressive  glances  at  each  other, 
and  drawing  one  long,  deep  breath,  expressive  of  "  Well,  it  is  all  gone, 
—  all  is  water,  and  there  is  no  help  for  it  now,"  we  turned  our  backs 
on  the  scene,  and  responded  to  the  steward's  call  of  i(  Gentemum, 
tea's,  sirs,  ready  !  " 

We  sat  down  to  the  table,  and  were  all  satisfied  with  a  cup  of  tea 
and  a  piece  of  hard  biscuit.  Milk  we  had  no  longer  on  board,  and 
had  to  drink  our  tea  without  it.  This,  with  the  rebellious  state  of 
our  stomachs,  and  the  sickening  heavings  of  the  vessel,  produced 
rather  a  solemn  cast  of  countenance  at  the  moment  of  swallowing. 
We  tried  to  force  ourselves  into  a  happy  frame  of  mind  ;  but,  as  soon 
as  a  smile  or  laugh  had  passed,  the  solemnity  of  our  feelings  would 
succeed.  A  few  minutes  at  the  tea-table  were  sufficient,  and  to 
attempt  to  stand  upon  the  rocking  floor  was  out  of  the  question.  We 
were  glad  to  repair  to  our  berths,  where  we  could  lie  down,  believing 
that  even  there  we  should  find  quite  motion  enough  for  us  new  begin- 
ners at  sea. 

After  dinner  to-day,  while  lying  an  hour  or  two  in  my  berth,  I 

dreamed  that  we  were  just  leaving  the  harbor,  and  that  Sister  C , 

who  has  been  dead  several  years,  appeared  to  me.  Her  form  was 
white  and  flpwing,  her  step  quick,  and  her  motion  wavy  like  a  feather. 
She  seemed  to  emerge  from  darkness,  stood  by  me,  and  talked  to  me 
of  the  voyage  I  was  about  to  take.  I  was  so  surprised  at  seeing  her 
that  I  did  not  reply,  and  the  thought  never  occurred  to  me  that  she 
had  been  dead.  She  gave  me  several  kisses,  and  was  passing  on  as  if 
she  had  something  important  to  do.  I  then  endeavored  to  speak,  and 
ask  her  to  stop,  that  I  might  talk  a  little  with  her.  She  shook  her 
head,  and  I  clasped  my  arms  around  her  to  detain  her  ;  but  she  passed 
from  me,  and  disappeared  like  a  vapor.  I  awoke  at  the  moment,  and 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  persuade  myself  that  I  had  been  dreaming. 
Even  now,  I  hardly  realize,  so  vivid  is  it  on  my  mind,  that  it  was  more 
of  a  dream  than  a  reality ;  and  it  brings  strongly  to  my  remembrance 
the  understanding  she  in  life  made  with  me, —  "  that  whichever  of  us 
might  die  first  should  appear  to  the  other,  if  in  any  manner  per- 
mitted in  the  spirit-world." 

At  Sea,  Wednesday,  IQth.  —  Early  this  morning  I  arose ;  but,  recol- 
lecting the  adventure  of  yesterday,  I  looked  first  to  see  where  and  how 
I  was  going  to  land,  keeping  my  hand  hold  of  something  firm  as  I 
attempted  to  move,  and  fell  against  the  door  lightly.  I  went  on  deck, 
and,  the  sun  shining  brightly  and  the  air  being  cool,  I  enjoyed  a  little 
2* 


18  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

promenade  with  the  captain.  Casting  my  eyes  around,  I  could  see 
only  one  broad  expanse  of  water,  and  a  few  scattering  sails  in  the 
hoi'izon.  We  were  sailing  along  very  well,  at  seven  knots  an  hour, 
but  with  a  rolling,  disagreeable  motion.  I  soon  returned  to  my  berth, 
and  there  spent  the  day,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  visit  on 
deck,  by  way  of  change.  My  two  companions  I  scarcely  saw,  they 
also  remaining  quiet  in  their  rooms.  None  of  us  appeared  at  the 
dinner-table  ;  and  the  captain  told  us  that  he  did  little  more  than  to 
go  through  the  forms  of  eating,  and  afterwards  did  not  retain  what 
he  had  taken.  As  I  lay  in  my  berth,  I  well  knew,  from  certain  sounds 
issuing  from  the  cabin,  that  others  were  in  full  sympathy  with  him. 
I  was  not  sick,  but  giddy,  with  a  sensation  of  great  disgust  towards 
myself. 

Thursday,  11th.  —  We  were  up  at  seven.  All  night  long  I  was 
rolling  about  in  my  berth  according  to  the  vessel,  first  on  one  side  and 
then  on  the  other,  and  I  am  more  tired  than  I  was  last  evening.  The 
timbers  over  head  were  constantly  creaking  and  squeaking,  as  if  their 
joints  must  soon  open.  There  was  no  sleep  for  me,  nor  was  I  suffered 
to  remain  long  enough  in  one  position  to  fall  asleep.  The  articles  of 
my  wardrobe,  hanging  on  the  walls  of  my  room,  had  a  curious  appear- 
ance, swaying  back  and  forth  with  the  regularity  of  a  clock  pendulum. 
This  swinging  roll  of  the  ship  has  become  very  tiresome,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  sensation  it  produces.  I  should  very  much  like  to  have  it  stop, 
and  give  me  a  respite  for  half  an  hour.  I  can  only  compare  it  to  the 
see-saw  we  used  to  practise  when  little  boys,  with  a  board  laid  across 
the  fence.  Now  the  same  sensation  of  going  up  and  coming  down,  of 
sidling  around,  and  the  continuation  of  this  night  and  day,  is  what 
we  should  like  to  be  rid  of ;  but  we  must  submit  to  it.  We  are  sailing 
eight  knots  an  hour  to-day,  having  gained  one  mile  an  hour  since 
yesterday. 

LETTER   TO  A   BROTHER. 

At  Sea,  May  12th. 

DEAR  BROTHER  A :  With  a  disagreeable  nausea  about  me  all 

day,  I  have  spent  much  of  the  time  in  promenading  the  deck,  and  in 
endeavoring  to  throw  off  the  ugly  feelings  which  crowd  upon  me.  To 
remain  below,  unless  lying  in  the  berth,  tends  to  increase  rather  than 
diminish  these  sensations.  I  have  interested  myself  much  in  watching 
Mother  Carey's  chickens,  as  they  skim  over  the  waves,  rising  and 
falling  with  the  water,  and  following  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel. 

The  barometer  this  morning  fell  rapidly,  indicating  a  storm  at 
hand.  Preparations  have  been  made  accordingly,  in  anticipation  of  it. 


GOLF   STREAM.  19 

The  carpenter  was  sent  for,  who  came  with  nails,  cleats  and  hammer, 
and  went  through  all  our  state-rooms  and  the  cabin,  fastening  trunks, 
boxes,  &c.,  and  adding  an  extra  side-board  to  the  berths.  All  the 
crockery  and  articles  lifeely  to  be  broken  are  put  into  good  trim. 

It  is  near  night,  and  things  begin  to  assume  a  foreboding  aspect. 
We  are  in  the  Gulf  Stream ;  the  wind  increases  ;  the  seas  mount 
higher ;  the  hens  are  screeching  ;  the  pigs  squealing  ;  and  the  ocean 
is  in  a  state  of  agitation.  The  captain  looks  at  the  barometer,  which 
every  hour  continues  to  fall  ;  and  he  seems  to  be  exercising  more  than 
ordinary  care  on  deck.  There  is  little  in  the  sky  to  indicate  bad 
weather  ;  yet  there  seems  an  influence  pervading  the  air  indicative  of 
some  change.  In  the  midst  of  the  excitement,  noise  and  motion,  I 
must  suspend  further  writing  until  to-morrow. 

Saturday,  I3lh. — I  was  on  deck  with  the  captain  a  part  of  last 
evening.  From  the  afternoon  the  storm  went  on  increasing,  until  we 
had  a  gale,  which  lasted  until  this  morning.  The  captain  did  not 
seem  alarmed,  but  looked  anxious.  As  for  myself,  I  could  not  help 
thinking  that  we  were  in  a  critical  situation,  but  thought  I  would  not 
be  the  first  to  take  alarm,  especially  before  the  captain  had  expressed 
any  fear  himself.  The  waves  ran  very  high,  and  were  constantly 
increasing  in  size  and  frequency.  I  stood  where  I  could  hold  on  well, 
and  observed  them  with  much  interest.  The  ship  was  kept  on  her 
side  by  the  force  of  the  wind,  and  would  rise  and  sink  with  the  waves 
about  twenty  feet ;  and  then  she  would  plough  through  the  sea, 
making  the  water  boil  and  foam.  It  was  a  grand  sight  to  see  her 
lifted  upon  the  top  of  a  wave  nearly  erect,  then  to  reel  one  side  and 
plunge  as  if  she  was  a  living  being,  and  had  received  a  wound  that 
made  her  desperate. 

After  a  while  I  changed  my  position,  and  sat  on  the  leeward  side  of 
the  vessel,  where  I  remained  for  half  an  hour.  There,  as  she  plunged, 
I  could  touch  the  water  with  my  hand,  and  could  observe  the  waves 
chasing  each  other.  They  would  come,  one  after  tlio  other  in  suc- 
cession, from  ten  to  fifteen  of  them  in  a  minute.  At  a  short  distance, 
they  seemed  as  if  they  would  sweep  over  and  annihilate  the  vessel  ; 
but  as  they  neared,  she  would  gradually  rise  upon  their  tops,  and 
they  would  pass  beneath.  I  sat  there,  very  quietly,  observing  a  scene 
such  as  I  had  never  witnessed  before.  The  rage  of  the  sea  was  yet 
increasing,  but  I  was  in  what  I  considered  a  safe  position  for  holding 
on.  Presently  I  heard  the  captain's  voice  above  the  tumult  of  the 
waves,  and  the  next  moment  I  was  immersed  in  a  sea  which  had 
broken  over  the  decks.  For  a  few  moments  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  been 
crushed,  and  that  I  was  in  the  ocean.  I  clung  to  a  large  spar  and 
ropes,  and,  the  sea  having  passed,  I  found  myself  safe  on  board.  This 
was  the  first  experience  1  ever  had  that  falling  water  had  any  per- 
ceptible weight.  I  did  not  tarry  for  a  repetition  of  the  bath,  but 
retreated  with  haste  to  the  cabin.  On  informing  the  captain  that  I 
had  the  benefit  of  that  sea,  he  said  it  was  a  chance  that  I  had  not 
been  carried  overboard  ;  and,  had  he  known  that  I  was  on  deck,  he 
should  have  warned  me  of  the  danger.  He  had  observed  the  sea 


20  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

advancing  with  threatening  aspect,  and,  supposing  the  passengers  to  be 
in  their  rooms,  had  cried  out  for  the  crew  to  secure  themselves. 

Returning  to  my  berth,  I  lay  down  in  my  wet  clothes,  feeling  any- 
thing but  safe.  The  vessel  rolled  from  side  to  Side,  and  seemed  almost 
to  jump  from  one  sea  to  another.  The  timbers  creaked  and  strained 
as  if  they  would  separate.  Suddenly  there  was  a  tremendous  crash, 
which  made  the  ship  tremble  as  if  she  was  breaking  up,  and  the  water 
came  rushing  down  into  the  cabin  ;  but  it  was  only  another  sea  which 
had  fallen  upon  the  decks. 

About  eleven  o'clock  at  night  I  again  crawled  out  upon  deck,  and 
laid  hold  of  a  rope.  Ah,  what  a  scene  was  this !  Noise,  tumult  and 
confusion,  reigned  abroad  !  Yet  everything  about  the  ship  went  on 
like  clock-work.  The  captain,  perfectly  calm,  stood  on  the  deck, 
giving  orders.  With  lungs  stentorian,  he  raised  his  voice  above  that  of 
the  raging  elements,  which  seemed  to  vie  with  him  as  to  which  should 
be  master.  To  me  not  a  word  was  intelligible  ;  but  the  sailors'  accus- 
tomed ear  quickly  understood,  and  they  executed  their  duties  with 
the  necessary  despatch,  cheerful  and  happy  even  to  merriment,  for 
they  directly  broke  out  into  a  wild  sailor's  glee,  which,  in  the  con- 
fusion of  noises,  fell  on  the  ear  as  if  in  mockery  of  the  commingled 
elements.  In  the  raging  storm  they  knew  no  fear.  They  sprang  into 
the  rattlings  with  as  much  security  as  if  the  sun  was  shining,  and  all 
was  calm  and  quiet.  The  scene  before  me  was  grand,  and  excitingly 
impressive.  I  felt  sad,  and  I  felt  happy.  I  could  laugh  or  I  could 
cry,  and  yet  I  did  neither.  It  was  of  that  strange  mixture  of  feeling 
and  sensation  which  I  cannot  describe.  I  gazed  out  upon  the  broad 
expanse  as  far  as  vision  could  penetrate,  with  intense  interest.  What 
a  troubled  mass  of  roaring  billows  !  It  seemed  as  if  all  the  imps  of 
the  lower  regions  had  been  let  loose  to  stir  up,  in  the  watery  world, 
such  a  commotion :  that  old  Neptune  and  Eolus  had  actually  combined, 
and  were  about  to  make  an  attack  in  concert.  Eolus  furiously  spent 
his  energies  on  the  sails  and  masts,  while  Neptune  charged  upon  the 
hull  with  equal  determination.  The  storm  tore  through  the  rigging 
with  its  mournful  howls  and  shrill  whistlings,  vainly  endeavoring  to 
strip  her  of  her  thin  covering  ;  while  the  battering  engines  below 
made  her  groan  and  tremble  fore  and  aft.  Long  lines  of  merciless 
waves,  with  curling  tops,  rushed  onward  in  quick  succession,  and 
poured  upon  her  their  devoted  might. 

I  retreated  to  the  cabin  ;  and  what  a  state  of  things  was  there ! 
Life  seemed  to  have  endowed  everything  which  before  we  supposed 
inanimate.  Boxes  were  skipping  and  shuffling  from  one  side  of  the 
cabin  to  the  other  ;  barrels  were  unloosed,  and  rolling  back  and  forth 
between  decks ;  crockery  and  glass-wares  had  broken  into  each  other's 
dominions,  and  were  keeping  up  a  great  jingling  with  their  destruc- 
tive propensities  ;  bottles  and  tin  dishes  were  banging  at  each  other 
in  mortal  strife  ;  lamps  were  whirled  from  the  table  almost  as  fast  as 
they  could  be  replaced  ;  and  the  barometer,  suspended  from  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  cabin,  was  cutting  the  air  to  and  fro  with  evident  reluctance. 
Looking  into  my  state-room,  everything  inside  seemed  to  be  in  motion, 
and  the  things  on  the  floor  were  perfectly  crazy,  having  a  regular 


STORM    AT    SEA.  21 

dance  together.  There  I  detected  my  black  beaver  and  the  old  white, 
my  umbrella,  cane,  boots  and  shoes,  bundles,  flute,  books  and  bottles, 
trunks  and  boxes,  in  perfect  recklessness  going  up  and  down,  right 
and  left,  balance,  turn  off,  first  one  then  the  other.  It  being  as  much 
as  I  could  do  to  take  care  of  myself,  I  turned  away  from  them  in  dis- 
gust. I  should  have  attempted  to  pick  them  up,  but  I  thought  I 
might  have  to  gather  up  myself  as  often  as  them,  and  at  some  risk  of 
my  bones  ;  besides,  I  knew  that  there  was  no  place  in  which  they 
wuuld  stay  except  on  the  floor,  and  I  did  not  interrupt  their  happiness. 
When  I  heard  the  confused  and  deafening  roar  without,  and  the 
crashing  sounds  within,  as  if  reducing  all  to  chaos,  I  shrank  back 
with  many  conflicting  thoughts  and  doubts  of  security,  and  clung  to 
the  door.  We  could  stand  hardly  better  than  if  inside  a  water-wheel, 
and  the  ship  seemed  to  be  tossed  and  hurled  about  like  a  large  hogs- 
head, so  little  impression  did  it  make  on  the  rolling  seas. 

In  my  berth  I  was  obliged  to  batten  myself  in  with  pillows,  boxes, 
coats,  &c.,  and  I  found  it  necessary  to  brace  with  my  knees,  press 
with  my  feet,  and  cling  with  both  hands,  to  prevent  being  thrown  out. 
At  times  I  stood  in  my  state-room  doorway,  holding  on  to  both  sides, 
watching  and  listening.  It  did  not  seem  possible  that  the  creaking 
and  working  timbers  could  hold  together  much  longer.  I  cast  my 
eyes  many  times  at  different  places,  wondering  how  they  could 
bear  such  wrenches  without  giving  way,  and  expecting  to  see  the  joints 
actually  open.  I  presume  I  was  some  alarmed,  as  I  had  taken  out 
my  life-preserver ;  but  I  knew  that  everything  had  been  made  as 
secure  as  possible,  and  an  occasional  glance  at  the  captain's  face  told 
me  that  he  had  no  fear,  though  he  had  anxiety,  and  if  we  were  to  be 
lost,  nothing  more  could  be  done  to  avert  it,  and  we  might  as  well  go 
down  calmly  as  to  go  frightened  out  of  our  senses.  I  could  not,  how- 
ever, but  believe  that,  if  the  vessel  did  not  go  to  pieces,  it  would  be  a 
wreck  before  morning ;  yet  I  kept  my  thoughts  to  myself,  while  my 
ears  were  filled  with  the  din  around  me.  The  mournful  whistlings  of 
the  wind  through  the  sails,  its  dead,  low  hum  through  the  rigging, 
the  water  rushing  sullenly  past  us,  striking  against  and  breaking  over 
the  vessel,  the  waves  splashing  one  upon  the  other,  with  the  jar  and 
tumble  as  she  plunged  her  bows  into  a  sea,  the  pigs  squealing,  hens 
squalling,  lumber  rattling,  the  heavy  tramping  of  feet  on  deck,  and 
the  tumbling  of  boxes  and  barrels,  the  cries  of  the  sailors  as  they 
pulled  the  ropes,  and  the  loud,  gram  voice  of  the  captain  as  he  poured 
forth  his  orders,  all  blended  with  the  heavy,  dismal  roar  of  the  ocean, 
were  really  startling.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  old  T.  W.  resisted  the 
enemy,  and  sustained  herself  throughout  in  a  manner  highly  worthy 
of  her  good  reputation.  The  storm  had  been  indicated  for  a  day  or 
two,  the  sailors  foolishly  say,  by  Mother  Carey's  chickens  following  in 
the  wake  of  the  vessel.  The  lightning  was  very  vivid  last  night,  ac- 
companied with  thunder.  We  have  another  blow  this  evening.  The 
captain  says  that  we  shall  be  more  free  from  these  squalls  when  we 
leave  the  Gulf  Stream.  We  were,  of  course,  all  happy  to  hear  that. 

Wo  have  thus  had  a  little  experience  of  sea  life,  the  first  week  out. 
My  two  companions  arc  heartily  sick  of  it,  and  I  cannot  say  that  I 


22  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

enjoyed  it  very  much,  though  I  have  no  wish  to  give  up  the  voyage, 
as  they  say  they  would  like  to  do.  My  impression  is  that  if  they 
were  on  shore  just  at  this  time  they  could  not  be  induced  to  go  on 
board  again. 

I  shall  transmit  these  journalizings  by  the  first  vessel  we  speak  that 
will  stop  long  enough  for  me  to  get  them  on  board.  I  now  feel  as  if 
the  experience  of  this  storm  will  very  much,  if  not  quite,  remove  any 
fear  of  future  storms  at  sea.  Yours,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTEE    II. 

SUNDAY  AT   SEA. THE  NAUTILUS. SEA  FARE.  —  ALTERCATION  ON  SHIP- 
BOARD.  FLYING   FISH. THE  BOOBY. A   SCHOOL   OF   PORPOISES. 

SUNDAY,  May  14th,  latitude  38°  2f  north,  longitude  58°  24'  west.  — I 
went  up  on  deck  before  breakfast,  and  it  looked  like  Sunday.  The 
sun  shone  clear  and  warm,  and  the  sea  was  little  disturbed.  Not  a 
breath  of  wind  whistled  through  the  sails,  and  none  of  the  usual  noisea 
of  the  sailors  were  heard,  as  on  other  days.  There  was  only  for  a 
while  the  sound  of  the  pump.  The  sailors  were  taking  turns,  two  at 
a  time,  to  free  the  vessel  of  water  in  the  hold  ;  for  she  had  sprung  a 
small  leak  during  the  storm  of  the  other  night.  I  read  a  few  chapters 
in  the  Bible,  and  some  of  the  periodicals  which  my  friend,  E.  S.,  Esq., 
had  kindly  furnished  me.  I  was  quite  fatigued  with  the  exertion  that 
had  been  necessary  during  the  whole  night  to  prevent  myself  from 
rolling  backwards  and  forwards  in  my  berth,  and  which,  after  all,  I 
did  not  succeed  in  accomplishing.  This  eve  it  began  to  blow  pretty 
hard,  with  a  violent  rain-storm.  It  poured  down  finely.  The  wind 
is  dead  ahead,  from  the  south-east,  and  it  has  been  so  calm  during  the 
day  that  we  have  made  scarcely  any  progress.  The  captain  was  on 
deck,  with  his  India-rubber  coat,  boots  and  hat,  in  all  the  storm, 
taking  charge  of  the  ship. 

Monday,  May  I5th.  —  The  morning  seemed  inviting  to  sleep.  We 
had  a  fine  breeze  all  day,  and  we  go  ahead  nicely.  Read  the  biog- 
raphy of  Herman  Blennerhassett,  and  was  much  interested  in  it. 
This  evening  is  a  beautiful  moonlight.  We  went  on  deck  and  tried 
to  sing  some,  but  did  not  accomplish  much.  The  sailors  had  some 
music  with  flutes  and  accordeons,  which  sounded  very  well  at  night. 


SHIP'S  BELLS.  23 

We  enjoyed  ourselves  for  an  hour  together  ;  and  this  is  the  first 
evening  we  have  been  able  to  do  that. 

Tuesday,  May  16/A.  —  We  are  now  nearly  in  the  latitude  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  We  have  had  a  fine  run,  and  are  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  from  Boston.  The  weather  is  very  pleasant.  Our  living  con- 
tinues good.  At  breakfast  to-day  we  had  fried  ham  and  eggs,  johnny- 
cake  and  butter,  hard  crackers,  and  coffee  without  milk.  I  have  taken 
a  dislike  to  coffee  and  tea  lately,  even  the  smell  now  being  disagreeable, 
and  often  nauseating.  How  long  such  feelings  will  remain  I  cannot 
say,  but  I  drink  only  water  at  present.  For  dinner  we  have  soups, 
baked  beans,  roast  chicken,  potatoes,  hard  crackers,  and  fried  pan- 
cakes, eaten  with  sugar  and  butter  ;  and  for  supper,  cold  meat,  baked 
beans,  and  buttered  toast  of  crackers.  This  last  appears  to  be  the 
universal  bread  on  shipboard.  The  captain  is  ill  this  evening  with 
rheumatism,  has  taken  colchicum,  &c.,  and  gone  to  bed  under  the 
influence  of  hot  tea  for  a  sweat.  Mr.  D.  is  still  quite  unwell  from 
sea-sickness.  Mr.  R.  is  much  better,  and  my  giddiness  is  improving. 
We  enjoyed  a  portion  of  the  latter  part  of  the  evening  on  deck,  chatting 
of  home  and  friends.  All  was  quiet  and  still,  save  the  creaking  of 
our  own  vessel  as  it  rolled  on  the  swells.  We  seemed  to  be  in  the 
centre  of  all  things,  enclosed  by  the  sky  above  and  the  water  below, 
limited  to  the  circular  horizon  only.  A  few  strains  of  my  flute 
sounded  prettily  as  they  were  wafted  in  gentle  undulations  upon  the 
air. 

Wednesday,  May  Yjth.  — The  striking  of  the  ship's  bells  at  eight  this 
morning  called  us  up.  These  are  struck  at  every  half-hour  during 
the  night  and  day.  The  whole  twenty-four  hours  are  divided  into  six 
watches  of  four  hours  each,  commencing  at  twelve,  four,  eight,  and 
twelve  again.  Each  watch  commences  with  one  bell  for  the  first  half- 
hour,  two  for  the  second,  three  for  the  third,  and  so  on  up  to  the 
eighth.  For  instance,  if  it  is  half-past  twelve,  night  or  day,  the  man 
at  the  helm  strikes  the  bell  once  ;  if  it  is  one  o'clock,  two  bells ;  half- 
past  one,  three  bells  ;  and  at  four  o'clock,  eight  bells.  Again,  when 
it  is  eight  o'clock,  morning  or  evening,  or  at  noon  or  midnight,  the 
bell  is  struck  eight  times,  and  the  intermediate  hours  made  to  corre- 
spond. So  we  say  that  we  rise  at  seven  bells  (half-past  seven),  break- 
fast at  eight  bells  (eight  o'clock)  ;  dine  at  three  bells  (half-past  one)  ; 
and  take  tea  at  four  bells  (six  o'clock).  The  object  of  the  bells  is  for 
the  regulation  of  the  crew,  and  that  all  on  board  may  know  how  the 
time  is  going.  When  the  helmsman  strikes  the  bell,  it  is  imme- 


24  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

diately  answered  with  the  same  number  of  strokes  by  another  in  the 
forward  part  of  the  ship. 

We  arose  this  morning  refreshed,  for  the  first  time,  with  a  fine  rest 
and  sleep.  As  each  of  us  remarked  on  it,  we  concluded  it  was  one  of 
the  greatest  of  luxuries ;  and  the  captain,  being  well  of  his  rheumatism, 
joined  with  us  in  the  same  opinion. 

Thursday,  May  18th. —  Arose  at  four  bells  (six  o'clock) ,  and  took  a 
promenade  on  deck.  It  is  very  mild,  but  nothing  can  be  seen  save  the 
sky  and  the  broad  ocean,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  I  have,  every 
day  for  a  week,  been  watching  for  a  sail,  but  in  vain  ;  there  are  none 
within  the  scope  of  our  vision.  Read  for  several  hours  the  Exploits 
of  General  Scott. 

Friday,  May  19th. —  At  seven  bells  arose,  and  went  on  deck  to  take 
fresh  air,  and  to  look  about  before  breakfast.  Our  vessel  is  speeding 
along  at  a  great  rate.  The  wind  had  a  reinforcement  during  the 
night,  and  now  comes  with  redoubled  power.  For  several  days  we 
have  passed  large  quantities  of  a  substance  called  the  gulf- weed, 
which  comes  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  being  brought  out  by  the  Gulf 
Stream.  The  first  officer  said  that  some  flying-fish  were  about,  but  I 
watched  for  some  time,  and  could  see  none.  I  have  seen  nothing  of 
Mother  Carey's  chickens  for  several  days.  Many  sailors  suppose  these 
birds  to  be  the  spirits  of  their  comrades  lost  at  sea,  and  they  have  a 
superstitious  fear  of  injuring  one  of  them.  In  their  belief,  it  would 
be  as  well  to  give  up  the  ship  to  the  mercy  of  the  waves  as  to  destroy 
one  of  them,  certain  punishment  being  the  consequence.  One  of  the 
men  has  so  joined  the  two  ends  of  a  rope,  making  it  an  endless  rope, 
that  we  cannot  detect  the  joint.  There  is  considerable  ingenuity 
among  sailors.  We  have  had  a  discussion  on  the  differences  of  religious 
belief,  and  left  off  much  as  we  commenced,  as  is  generally  the  case  in 
all  controversies  on  such  subjects. 

Saturday,  May  20th,  latitude  30°,  about  that  of  New  Orleans,  lon- 
gitude 39°,  near  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic,  seventeen  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  miles  out. —  Read  to-day  the  "  Dark  Lady  of  Doona."  In  the 
afternoon  we  were  visited  by  a  black  squall,  with  heavy  showers.  It 
appeared  very  threatening,  and  the  captain  had  the  sails  taken  in, 
preparatory  to  its  approach.  But  it  did  not  blow,  very  hard.  We  are 
all  pretty  well  now,  except  Mr.  D.,  who  does  not  get  over  his  sea- 
sickness ;  he  still  continues  to  keep  his  berth  a  great  part  of  the  time. 

Sunday,  May  21st. — This  Sunday  is  very  much  like  the  last.  There 
is  little  wind,  and  little  motion  to  the  ship,  and  the  water  is  almost 


THE    NAUTILUS.  25 

still.  The  sun  shines  warm  and  pleasant,  but  I  have  not  yet  seen  it 
shine  as  clear  as  on  the  land.  I  suppose  that  this  is  owing  to  evapora- 
tion from  the  great  extent  of  water  exposed  to  the  air.  We  cannot 
here  see  people  going  to  church  to-day,  nor  hear  the  ringing  bells  ;  yet, 
on  looking  around,  and  seeing  all  so  quiet  on  board,  busy  with  their 
books,  we  are  reminded  that  it  is  Sunday. 

After  trying  a  long  time,  I  caught  a  piece  of  the  gulf-weed,  and 
examined  it.  It  looks  very  pretty  as  we  float  past  it,  though  it  appears 
to  float  past  us.  We  see  large  quantities  of  it  to-day.  It  has  little 
water-berries  upon  it,  and  runs  something  like  a  strawberry-vine,  or 
woodbine,  before  the  leaves  appear.  In  the  water  it  resembles  large 
pieces  of  sponge,  and  is  of  a  golden  color.  Saw  numerous  (so  called) 
"Portuguese  men-of-war,"  or  a  species  of  nautilus,  sailing  on  the 
water.  They  look  very  pretty,  like  a  sail  in  miniature.  They  float 
on  the  water,  with  the  sail  above  them,  apparently  regulating  them- 
selves to  the  wind,  according  to  the  direction  they  wish  to  go. 

Read  temperance  stories  and  the  Bible  during  the  day. 

Monday,  May  22d.  —  The  day  is  beautiful.  The  weather  is  so 
mild  and  warm  that  I  slept  last  night  with  my  window  open.  From 
the  deck  may  be  seen,  under  sail,  many  of  those  beautiful  Portuguese 
men-of-war.  I  attempted,  with  a  pail  let  down  by  a  rope,  to  capture 
one.  After  repeated  trials  for  more  than  an  hour,  I  succeeded.  The 
captain  and  some  of  the  sailors  immediately  cautioned  me  against 
touching  certain  parts  of  it,  which,  they  said,  were  full  of  stings. 
These  parts  resemble  a  bunch  of  silken  cords  of  a  burning  red  color, 
from  two  to  twelve  inches  long,  and  covered  with  a  thin,  transparent 
membrane.  They  form  a  gelatinous  mass  about  the  body,  or  sepa- 
rating into  longer  or  shorter  fibres,  which  they  drag  after  them  like  so 
many  little  streamers.  The  sail  part  looked  like  a  handsome  shell,  but 
was  a  white,  delicate,  satin-like  membrane,  filled  with  air,  reflecting 
rich  prismatic  colors.  The  large  ones  are  about  the  size  of  a  triangle 
five  inches  high,  and  the  smaller  like  pea-buds  just  blossoming.  The 
body  part  is  a  mass  of  unshapen,  pulpy  substance,  of  the  texture  of 
the  blood-sucker,  but  of  a  purple  color.  It  is,  however,  destitute 
of  stings  ;  but  those  parts  are  of  a  poisonous  nature,  which  produces 
the  smarting  and  burning.  I  read  to-day  in  the  Letters  of  John 
Adams. 

This  afternoon,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  the  surface  of  the  ocean  is 
completely  studded  with  these  nautili ;  they  are  little  things,  much 
smaller  than  those  above  described,  and  can  hardly  be  called  "  men-of- 
3 


26  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

war," —  perhaps  they  would  be  better  denominated  Portuguese  sloops- 
of-war.  I  presume  they  cannot  sail  so  fast  as  the  larger  ones,  their 
pioneers,  which  accounts  for  their  always  bringing  up  the  rear.  For 
the  first  hundred  miles  only  the  larger  ones  appeared,  then  the  next 
in  size,  then  a  size  still  smaller  and  lastly,  came  those  still  smaller, 
—  all  covering  a  surface  several  hundred  miles  in  extent.  On  deck  in 
the  evening,  one  of  the  young  sailors  —  Daniel  Dana  —  came  and 
played  to  us  on  the  accordeon  for  an  hour.  It  is  a  beautiful  evening. 
The  stars,  like  glittering  diamonds,  ornament  the  broad  canopy  over 
us. 

Tuesday,  May  23d.  —  Arose  at  six  o'clock.  Before  breakfast,  I 
stitched  up  and  dressed  a  wound  in  the  first  officer's  hand,  he  having 
cut  himself,  and  severed  a  small  artery. 

A  vessel  passed  three  or  four  miles  to  the  north  of  us.  When  she 
reached  the  nearest  point,  we  raised  the  American  colors,  which  were 
immediately  answered  by  the  British  flag.  We  had  been  on  the  watch 
to  see  which  should  discover  the  first  vessel ;  but  the  credit  of  this  one 
fell  to  the  captain.  About  two  hours  later,  I  perceived  a  mote  in  the 
horizon,  which  shortly  proved  to  be  another  vessel,  which  passed  five 
or  six  miles  to  the  south  of  us.  The  day  has  been  pleasant,  and  the 
sea  pretty  smooth. 

Latitude  between  26°  and  27°  north. 

I  read  in  the  Letters  of  John  Adams,  and  am  much  interested  in 
them.  I  wish  that  I  had  also  the  Letters  of  Mrs.  Adams,  though  I 
have  a  very  good  stock  of  others, — light  reading,  medical  and  scientific. 
The  nautili  have  nearly  all  disappeared.  They  are  now  so  reduced  in 
size  as  to  resemble  pea-buds  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
are  unable  with  their  tiny  sails  to  keep  up  with  the  larger  ones  ahead. 

Wednesday,  24th,  latitude  23°  north. —  We  are  near  the  tropic  of 
Cancer,  —  about  the  latitude  of  Cuba.  We  have  now  entered  the 
regular  trade-winds,  and  can  reckon  on  a  steady  and  favorable  breeze. 
They  have  taken  us  along  at  a  fine  rate  to-day.  The  weather  is 
excellent,  and  our  thick  clothes  are  not  uncomfortable.  The  passen- 
gers are  agreeable,  the  captain  cheerful,  the  officers  respectful,  and 
the  crew  orderly.  We  have  enough  to  eat  and  drink,  plenty  of  time  for 
sleep,  and  all  goes  on  harmoniously,  even  down  to  the  pigs  and  hens. 
But  I  should  like  to  go  on  shore  to  stretch  myself  and  turn  round  once 
or  twice  on  the  land,  where  there  is  plenty  of  room.  To  be  cooped 
up  here  in  so  small  a  space  begins  to  be  a  little  irksome.  I  must  say 
that  I  do  not  like  it ;  but  I  presume  we  shall  get  accustomed  to  it  in 


MONOTONY   OF   THE   SEA.  27 

time.  I  read  to-day  from  the  "  Diary  of  a  Physician,"  and  in  the 
morning  saw  a  flying-fish.  This  evening  one  of  the  young  sailors  — 
before  named  —  came  aft,  and  played  to  us  a  while  on  the  accordeon. 

Thursday,  May  25th. — Arose  at  seven  bells,  and  took  a  promenade  on 
deck,  where  I  go  every  morning,  before  breakfast,  to  gaze  around  upon 
the  desert  sea  in  search  of  new  objects,  and  also  to  look  for  sharks.  I 
wish  to  see  one  of  these  animals  taken,  and  the  captain  thinks  I  shall 
be  gratified  before  the  voyage  is  ended. 

After  breakfast,  with  a  pail  and  a  rope,  I  went  to  the  vessel's  side, 
and,  throwing  the  pail  over,  set  about  catching  some  little  animals 
that  were  floating  on  the  water.  They  were  of  a  purple  color,  and 
coiled  up  like  a  watch-spring  or  revolving  torpedoes.  I  worked  away 
for  an  hour  or  more,  and  succeeded  in  catching  one  of  them.  I  was 
then  but  little  better  off,  for  I  could  not  make  out  what  it  was,  nor 
find  any  one  that  could.  I  did  not  like  to  touch  it,  for  it  looked  as  if 
it  might  be  poisonous.  I  shall  dry  and  preserve  it. 

The  captain  says  that  to-day,  at  twelve  o'clock,  the  sun  will  be 
directly  over  head. 

Friday,  May  26th. —  It  begins  to  be  a  little  monotonous.  We  seem 
to  be  in  the  same  place  every  day.  From  the  deck  we  look  out  on  the 
water,  and  see  that  the  vessel  is  sailing.  We  perceive  that  she  runa 
away  from  certain  waves  and  bubbles  marked  with  the  eye ;  that,  as 
she  ploughs  along,  she  makes  the  water  foam  and  splash  about  her 
bows,  which  it  would  not  do  if  lying  still ;  and  yet  we  cannot  see  that 
she  is  not  this  morning  in  the  same  place  as  yesterday,  and  the  morn- 
ing before,  and  even  for  the  whole  week.  The  horizon  looks  the  same  ; 
its  distance  is  the  same  ;  the  sky  is  the  same  ;  the  sun,  the  moon  and 
waves,  are  all  the  same.  There  is  no  land,  no  house,  no  tree,  no  any- 
thing, to  show  that  we  are  progressing.  Like  the  horse  in  the  tread- 
mill, we  keep  moving,  but  do  not  appear  to  be  making  headway.  The 
water  appears  to  move  past  us,  but  the  vessel  remains  in  the  same 
place.  Still  I  am  contented,  knowing  that  we  are  speeding  on  ;  that 
we  are  to-day  two  degrees  beyond  where  we  were  yesterday  ;  that  we 
are  this  day  within  eighteen  degrees  of  the  equator  ;  whereas,  at  the 
commencement,  we  were  forty-two  distant  from  it.  We  do  not  go 
exactly  to  the  south,  but  to  the  south-east.  We  sail  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  a  day,  but  are  not  two  hundred  miles  nearer  our  destina- 
tion ;  for,  governed  by  the  wind,  we  have  to  deviate  from  the  direct 
course  ;  and  now  we  are  steering  towards  the  coast  of  Africa.  A 
vessel  has  just  appeared  in  the  horizon,  but  quickly  disappeared,  bound 


28  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

towards  Havana.  We  have  a  strong  breeze,  and  are  getting  on  briskly, 
at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  an  hour. 

I  commenced  reading  again  the  "  Dark  Lady  of  Doona,"  it  being 
the  second  novel  I  have  read  during  ten  years.  I  read  only  one  chap- 
ter of  it  a  day,  my  taste  being  more  for  facts  than  fiction. 

Our  dinner  to-day  consisted  of  baked  beans,  boiled  tongue,  baked 
rice-pudding,  &c.  We  live  much  better  on  shipboard  than  I  expected 
to,  from  all  the  stories  I  had  previously  heard. 

Saturday,  May  27th.  —  We  are  now  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirteen  miles  out.  Our  latitude  is  between  15°  and  16°  north,  and 
•we  are  near  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  off  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 
The  air  is  mild  and  pleasant.  They  killed  a  pig  on  board  to-day,  and 
they  are  supplied  with  a  sufficient  number  to  provide  one  for  every 
Saturday.  The  vessel  makes  near  ten  knots  an  hour. 

Sunday,  May  28th. —  Early  this  morning,  at  .about  four  o'clock,  the 
captain  called  to  us  that  a  vessel  was  in  sight.  We  were  all  in  our 
berths;  but,  hearing  those  startling  sounds  —  "Sail,  ho!"  —  were 
quickly  up.  The  vessel  came  within  about  a  mile  of  us,  and  then  kept 
on  her  way.  She  contented  herself  by  showing  British  colors,  which 
were  answered  by  the  American.  I  was  disappointed  in  not  being  able 
to  send  letters  by  her.  Another  vessel  appeared  soon  after,  but  she 
kept  at  a  distance  of  several  miles.  One  also  appeared  in  the  night, 
and  passed  nearer  to  us  than  any  of  the  others.  They  all  passed  on 
the  windward  side,  to  the  left  of  us. 

I  wrote  a  letter  to  S.  It  is  very  still  and  quiet  on  board,  and, 
indeed,  seems  like  Sunday,  it  being  the  third  one  of  our  voyage.  The 
weather  is  fine,  the  air  mild  and  soft,  and  the  breeze  strong  and  steady. 
It  is  less  warm  than  we  expected  to  find  it  here.  I  cannot  yet  drink 
tea  or  coffee,  and  the  smell  of  them  is  quite  disagreeable, —  the  remains 
of  my  nausea  from  sea-sickness,  though  we  feel  pretty  well  now,  in  com- 
parison with  the  first  week.  My  appetite  is  about  one  half  as  good  as 
when  on  land,  and  I  eat  only  about  half  of  the  extent  of  my  appetite, 
thinking  to  make  myself  better  by  eating  less.  We  are  still  weak, 
sore  and  tired,  from  the  movements  of  the  vessel  so  constantly  exer- 
cised upon  us.  If  we  lie  or  sit  long  in  one  position,  we  ache,  and 
ueem  to  stiffen  to  it.  Mr.  D.  is  still  obliged  to  maintain  a  recumbent 
posture  ;  if  he  rises,  he  is  sure  to  be  sick.  The  captain  is  better  off 
than  the  rest  of  us ;  but  we  shall,  no  doubt,  soon  get  used  to  it. 

While  talking  with  the  captain  on  deck  to-day,  we  heard  the  cry 
of  "  Murder,  murder  !  "  We  rushed  forward,  from  whence  the  cry 


A    DUTCH    SHIP.  29 

proceeded.  My  first  thought  was  of  mutiny,  though  I  could  imagine 
no  cause  for  it,  and  I  was  determining  to  go  through  thick  and  thin  to 
the  last,  if  necessary,  for  the  government  of  the  ship.  We  soon  saw 
that  there  was  trouble  among  the  crew,  and  one  of  them  had  a  bloody 
mouth.  It  appeared  that  an  altercation  had  arisen  between  Mr.  B., 
the  second  officer,  and  one  of  the  sailors.  Mr.  B.  gave  the  man  an 
order  for  doing  something  to  the  rigging,  calling  him  by  the  name  of 
"  Pill  Garlic."  The  man  was  a  spruce  young  sailor,  and,  feeling 
injured  by  the  epithet,  refused  to  answer  to  that  name.  This  brought 
B.  down  on  him,  and  disposed  him  to  cry  out  "  murder."  The  cap- 
tain told  him  to  behave  himself,  or  he  should  have  a  whipping ;  that 
it  was  his  business  to  mind  what  was  told  him,  whatever  he  was  called 
by.  He  then  took  Mr.  B.  aside,  and  spoke  to  him,  requesting  him,  as 
I  suppose,  to  be  civil  to  the  men. 

I  read  to-day  in  the  Testament,  and  from  the  "  Life  of  Swedenborg." 

Monday,  May  29M. —  I  was  up  at  six  bells.  The  weather  is  very 
beautiful  and  warm,  with  a  fine  breeze.  Latitude  between  9°  and  10° 
north  ;  longitude  26°.  We  are  now  within  ten  degrees,  or  six  hun- 
dred miles,  of  the  equator,  and  in  less  than  a  week  we  shall  expect  to 
cross  the  line.  I  thought  it  would  be  uncomfortably  warm  here,  but 
it  is  not.  I  wear  all  my  thick  clothing  and  flannels. 

A  ship  appeared  in  the  horizon  at  about  half-past  eleven,  and  met 
us  at  twelve.  She  passed  but  a  short  distance  from  us.  We  bore  up 
to  her  as  near  as  the  wind  would  allow,  but  she  seemed  to  incline 
away  from  us.  She  could  have  come  nearer  if  she  would,  for  she  bore 
off  (as  the  captain  said)  several  points  from  her  course.  She  hoisted 
the  Dutch  flag  to  our  Yankee  stripes.  Captain  G.  took  the  speaking- 
trumpet,  and,  hailing  her,  called  out  something  with  his  powerful 
voice.  She  either  could  not  hear,  could  not  speak,  or  else  did  not 
understand  English.  The.  two  captains  contented  themselves  with 
looking  at  each  other  with  their  spy-glasses,  and  passed  on.  The  cap- 
tain said  that  she  was  the  most  rusty-looking  thing  he  had  ever  seen  at 
sea.  We  thought,  when  this  vessel  first  came  in  sight,  that  we  should 
certainly  send  home  letters  by  her  ;  but,  like  the  others,  it  proved  an 
illusion.  I  was  really  excited  when  I  saw  her  so  near.  I  felt  like 
one  who  had  been  for  a  long  time  alone,  wandering  in  the  woods  of 
some  unknown  island,  meeting  with  no  living  being,  and  at  last  to 
have  fallen  in  with  a  friend. 

I  saw  yesterday  a  large  sea-bird,  called  a  booby,  fluttering  and  whirl- 
ing about  near  the  surface  of  the  water.  I  watched  its  purpose,  and 
3* 


30  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

soon  perceived  a  number  of  flying-fish,  pursued  by  a  large  fish  of  some 
other  kind.  These,  to  escape  their  enemy  in  the  water,  were  forced  to 
take  to  their  wings,  and,  the  moment  they  rose  from  the  sea,  the 
booby  was  ready  to  attack  them.  Thus,  when  obliged  to  flee  from 
danger  in  their  own  clement,  they  encountered  it  the  moment  they 
sought  safety  in  another.  And  yet  they  are  doubly  provided  ;  for 
nature  has  supplied  them  with  fins  for  swimming,  and  wings  for  flight. 
I  could  but  pity  the  poor  creatures,  and  would  gladly  have  given  them 
protection. 

The  booby  is  web-footed,  and  looks  like  a  large  hawk.  Its  name  is 
given  to  it  on  account  of  its  stupidness  in  allowing  itself  to  be  easily 
caught.  This  one  alighted  on  board  in  the  evening,  and  perched  on 
one  of  the  boats.  We  went  up  and  put  our  hands  upon  him  before 
he  would  attempt  to  fly,  and  caught  him,  though  he  used  his  hooked 
and  pointed  bill  as  if  in  earnest. 

We  encountered  to-day  a  school  of  porpoises,  and  had  to  laugh 
outright,  they  appeared  so  ludicrously.  They  acted  like  a  parcel  of 
dogs,  starting  off  in  company.  Sometimes  three  or  four,  with  their 
noses  together,  would  try  to  head  each  other  off,  and  then  they  would 
swim  back  and  forth,  leaping  out  of  the  water,  whirling  one  side,  or 
around  and  underneath  the  vessel,  but  generally  keeping  in  front  and 
dodging  about  the  bows.  One  of  them  leaped  about  ten  feet  out  of 
the  water,  and  turned  a  complete  somerset,  coming  down  and  striking 
flat,  with  a  loud  splash ;  then,  as  if  frightened  at  himself,  he  scam- 
pered off,  and,  making  a  circuit,  returned  again.  They  blow  in  a 
similar  manner  to  the  whale,  having  the  spout-holes  at  the  base  of  a 
long  snout.  When  they  come  about  in  the  night,  their  noise  is  like 
the  suppressed  breathing  of  boys  in  swimming. 

We  seem  to  be  advancing  into  a  warmer  region.  The  thermometer 
to-day  is  77°  F.  Another  vessel  is  in  sight,  about  five  miles  to  the 
north-west.  We  arc  making  ten  miles  an  hour, 

Tuesday,  May  50th. —  The  weather  is  still  warmer,  the  thermometer 
having  risen  to  upwards  of  80°,  and  this  under  a  clouded  sun  and 
frequent  showers.  We  all  sensibly  felt  its  debilitating  effects,  and  I 
was  quite  unwell. 

Wednesday,  May  31st.  —  It  rained  some  during  the  night,  with 
hardly  any  wind.  A  good  part  of  this  day  the  vessel  has  been  be- 
calmed, rolling  lazily  from  side  to  side,  but  with  scarcely  any  move- 
ment ahead.  We  have  had,  however,  several  little  rain-squalls,  from 
half  an  hour  to  an  hour  each,  which  sent  us  along  at  the  rate  of  six  or 
eight  knots,  arid  then  loft  us  again  nearly  becalmed,  with  the  weather 


AMUSEMENTS. UNSUCCESSFUL    FISHING.  31 

warm  and  close.  This  kind  of  weather  is  always  expected  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  equator.  The  sun  was  obscured  to-day,  and,  for 
the  first  time,  no  observation  could  be  taken,  and,  therefore,  no  lati- 
tude was  reckoned.  I  have  commenced  reading  "Jane  Eyre,"  and 
find  it  interesting.  I  like  to  read  novels  occasionally,  yet  I  cannot 
much  approve  of  them. 

Thursday,  June  1st.  —  None  of  us,  as  yet,  feel  well  and  strong.  Mr. 
D.  has  grown  quite  thin,  and  I  find  that  it  requires  considerable  resolu- 
tion to  make  the  effort  to  go  on  deck ;  yet  we  all  contrive  to  do  so 
several  times  each  day.  We  try  to  vary  the  monotonous  routine  of 
the  hours,  by  promenading  on  deck,  reading  a  while  below,  and  then 
changing  again  to  the  deck  ;  —  chatting  with  each  other  or  to  the  cap- 
tain, looking  at  the  fowls  and  pigs,  climbing  the  rattlings,  climbing 
out  upon  the  bowsprit,  watching  the  weather,  examining  the  horizon 
for  vessels,  or  searching  for  fishes  and  birds. 

At  the  table  we  all  practise  on  the  cold-water  principle,  excepting 
the  second  officer,  because  we  do  not  yet  relish  tea  and  coffee.  The 
term  "  cold  water,"  however,  may  not  be  strictly  correct  in  this  hot 
climate.  I  will  not  complain,  so  long  as  it  remains  as  good  as  it  is 
now,  but  I  would  give  twenty-five  cents  for  one  glass  of  ice-water 
such  as  I  was  in  the  habit  of  getting  at  home.  It  would  be  a 
luxury  ;  but  luxuries  like  this  are  not  to  be  purchased  here.  We 
gradually  fell  off  from  tea  and  coffee,  one  after  the  other, — Mr.  R. 
bringing  up  the  rear,  —  and  now  we  call  ourselves  temperance  men. 

We  have  not  taken  the  latitude  to-day,  the  sun  being  still  obscured. 
I  have  concluded  "  Jane  Eyre ;  "  it  was  so  interesting  that  I  did  not 
like  to  leave  it  till  I  had  finished  it.  In  the  evening  I  conversed  with 
the  captain  respecting  it,  he  having  read  it  also.  We  agreed  pretty 
well  as  to  the  merits  and  demerits  of  its  characters.  We  also  played 
three-handed  whist.  This  game  has  lately  become  a  part  of  the  even- 
ing's routine.  Yesterday,  for  a  little  variety,  I  tried  my  hand  at 
fishing.  I  engaged  the  mate  to  fix  me  up  a  hook  and  line,  and  then, 
during  a  calm,  took  my  stand  on  the  deck,  with  a  piece  of  mackerel 
for  bait.  I  threw  my  line,  and,  while  letting  it  out  and  watching  the 
bait  as  it  sunk,  away  went  hook,  line,  bait  and  all ;  the  line  having 
been  rolled  up  in  two  or  three  pieces,  and  not  joined  at  the  ends, 
which  I  had  not  examined.  Afterwards,  again  equipped,  I  tried  once 
more.  I  threw  over  my  line,  and  waited  patiently  for  half  an  hour, 
but  could  not  get  a  bite,  not  even  a  "  glorious  nibble."  I  persevered 
for  another  half-hour,  with  the  same  success,  and  then  gave  it  up, 
satined  with  my  fusing  for  the  day. 


32  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 


CHAPTER    III. 

EQUATOR. CROSSING     THE     LINE. FERDINAND    NARKONA.  —  COAST      OS 

BRAZIL. TEDIOUSNESS    OF    THE   SEA. PHOSPHORESCENT  APPEARANCES. 

A    DREAM. BOISTEROUS    WEATHER,    AND    TABLE    DISCOMFORTS. 

FRIDAY,  June  2d. —  Since  yesterday  our  course  is  changed  to  the 
south-west,  towards  the  coast  of  South  America.  Soon  we  shall  be  on 
the  equator,  which  is  now  about  two  hundred  miles  further  south. 

I  finished  the  two  volumes  of  "  J.  Adams'  Letters,"  and  think  I 
have  been  well  paid  for  reading  them.  There  is  so  much  sense,  so 
much  principle,  so  much  of  reality,  about  them  ;  and  then  he  expresses 
so  much  feeling,  —  real,  ardent,  unaffected  feeling,  —  domestic  and 
public,  true,  noble  and  patriotic  feeling,  —  ever  high-minded  and  firm, 
and  yet  as  humble  as  a  child,  —  that  he  seemed  to  stand  with  one  foot 
on  Right,  and  the  other  on  Principle,  immovable  from  his  position. 

Saturday,  June  Zd.  —  We  are  three  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
one  miles  from  home.  A  vessel  had  been  several  miles  ahead  of  us, 
and  going  the  same  course,  but  we  passed  her  during  the  day.  She 
would  neither  show  her  colors  nor  bear  towards  us  to  speak  us,  but 
kept  further  off.  We  concluded  that  she  preferred  to  remain  unknown 
rather  than  to  have  it  said  that  she  was  thus  outsailed  by  another 
vessel.  We  left  her  five  or  six  miles  astern  at  night. 

This  is  an  exceedingly  fine  day,  with  a  cool  breeze.  Thermometer 
stands  85°  in  the  cabin.  I  wrote  to  brother  J.,  but  the  vessel  we  saw 
gave  us  no  opportunity  to  send.  At  evening,  went  on  deck  and 
enjoyed  a  gaze  at  the  stars  in  the  beautiful  clear  sky.  It  is  a  pretty 
sight,  at  sea,  to  behold  a  perfect  dome  sparkling  with  glittering  gems, 
set  upon  a  circular  base  of  water,  our  vessel  in  the  centre,  and  over- 
shadowing us  as  if  for  our  especial  benefit.  Its  sides  seem  to  extend 
below  the  water,  enclosing  within,  a  large  level  lake  of  an  exact  circle, 
with  one  solitary  object,  our  ship,  floating  at  its  very  centre. 

Equator,  Sunday,  June  4:th.  —  Here  we  are  at  the  equator,  at  last, 
though  there  is  no  perceptible  difference  to  the  view.  The  sun,  the  sky, 
the  sea,  the  horizon,  are  all  the  same  ;  but  the  weather  is  warmer,  and 
the  sea  calmer.  We  have  had  a  light  breeze  all  day,  which  makes  it 
delightful  to  sit  on  deck.  The  heat  is  not  so  great  as  we  expected. 
Thick  clothing  would  not  be  really  uncomfortable,  although  we  have 
put  it  aside,  and  all  have  appeared  to-day  in  thin  clothes.  In  the 


CROSSING    THE    LINE.  33 

latter  part  of  the  afternoon  we  crossed  the  equator ;  but,  as  the  little 
girl  said  to  her  father  on  a  similar  occasion,  "  Though  often  seen  on  the 
map,  I  can't  see  it  here,  —  Where  is  it  ?  " 

There  was  some  talk  about  a  visit  from  old  Neptune  and  his  tribe, 
as  is  yet  customary  with  many  ships,  but  it  was  not  carried  into 
execution.  The  ceremony  goes,  I  believe,  by  the  name  of  the  "  crossing 
of  the  line."  It  is  conducted  by  the  sailors  something  in  this  manner  : 
They  dress  themselves  in  disguise,  with  buffalo-skins  and  other  odd 
things,  and  with  painted  faces,  so  as  to  appear  like  outlandish  giants. 
They  let  themselves  down  into  the  water  on  the  outside.  The  pas- 
sengers, at  a  preconcerted  signal,  are  called  on  deck  to  see  the  queer- 
looking  people  coming  out  of  the  ocean.  Not  suspecting  anything, 
they  arrive  in  season  to  see  a  strange  set  of  beings  clamber  up  over  the 
vessel's  sides,  dripping  with  water.  The  one  who  personifies  old 
Neptune  advances  and  salutes  the  capbain  and  officers.  After  a  few 
compliments  and  inquiries  about  the  vessel  and  voyage,  &c.,  the  cap- 
tain making  answers  to  correspond,  they  take  the  passengers  who  have 
never  "  crossed  the  line,"  and  apply  a  lather  of  warm  tar  to  their 
faces,  and  shave  or  scrape  them  with  a  piece  of  rusty  iron  hoop,  — 
unless  they  choose  to  ransom  themselves  by  paying  money,  liquor,  or 
whatever  is  demanded  as  a  substitute  by  the  visitors.  Those  who  have 
before  crossed  the  line  are  allowed  to  pass  unsubjected  to  the  ordeal. 

We  have  now  encountered  a  strong  current,  which  sets  towards  the 
northern  coast  of  South  America  ;  in  consequence  of  which  our  course 
is  towards  the  coast  of  Brazil.  The  captain  thinks  we  may  not  be 
able  to  clear  that  coast  without  taking  a  tack  to  the  eastward. 

I  have  read  a  few  chapters  in  the  Bible,  a  Christian  Register,  —  one 
of  a  roll  Mrs.  C.  gave  me,  —  and  in  the  "  Life  of  Swedenborg,"  with 
which  I  am  much  interested.  I  find  that  we  have  lost  sight  of  the 
north  star,  -nor  can  we  see  it  again  till  we  return  to  the  north  of  the 
equator. 

Monday,  June  5th.  —  We  are  now  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
miles  south  of  the  equator.  The  air  is  clear  and  breezy.  I  have 
commenced  reading  "Don  Quixote."  The  captain  thinks  that  we 
may  pass  the  "  Pyramid  rock"  during  the  night,  and  possibly  near 
enough  to  see  it.  This  rock  is  very  high,  and  inclines  as  if  it  would 
fall.  It  is  on  the  island  Ferdinand  Narkona.  This  lone  island  is 
inhabited  almost  entirely  by  Brazilian  exiles,  the  governor  himself 
being  also  an  exile.  It  can  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles, 
has  four  or  five  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  defended  by  fortification. 


CHIXA    AND    MAXILLA. 


We  shall  not  pass  nearer  than  fifteen  miles  of  it,  and  therefore  sha 
not  have  the  gratification  of  seeing  it. 

Every  day  my  medical  works  come  in  for  a  portion  of  my  reading 
Wednesday,  June  1th. -It  is  a  queer  sensation  at  sea  to  awake" i 
the  morning,  or  to  be  half-awake,  and  be  doubtful  where  you  arc 
The  other  morning,  I  was  thus  situated  ;  I  was  enough  awake  to  sec 
but  not  enough  to  think  clearly  ;  I  saw  clothing  hanging  about  a  littl 
room,  some  books  on  a  little  shelf,  a  little  sky-light  above,  a  window 
on  the  side,  and  seemed  as  if  some  one  was  shaking  the  bed  I  said  t. 
myself  «  Where  am  I  ?  This  is  not  my  room  in  Boston.  It  is  not  a 
fathers.  Is  it  at  Dr.  F. 's  ?  No.  Where  in  the  world  am  I  *  I 
appears  to  me  that  I  am  going  up  and  down  ;  I  must  be  crazy  _  an, 
yet  I  know  that  I  am  alive  somewhere ;  it  is  not  at  the  Winthro, 
House-no  ;  nor  at  Mr.  M.'s.  Did  I  come  out  to  Quincy  last  night: 
What  sent  me  out  here?  Let  me  think  — how  is  it?"  * 
"  Doctor  !  "  calls  a  voice  to  me. 

"  Holloa !  "  says  I,  willing  to  answer  some  one  or  to  anything 
"  Seven  bells,"  says  the  steward. 

_  0,  yes !  I  know !  here  I  am,  in  the  old  ship,  still ;  there  is  no  get- 
ting away  from  that ! 

Friday,  June  9(h.  -Mr.  D.  does  not  appear  to  acquire  any  fondness 

•  the  sea,  having  been  unwell  aU  the  time  since  the  first  day  out     HP 

says  that  he  would  like  to  be  set  ashore  somewhere,  or  to  get  on  board  of 

ship  home  bound.    Mr.  R.  says  that  he  -  did  not  know  what  it  was  " 

n  he  engaged  his  passage  ;  that  he  would  like  to  be  «  off  the  old 

sea,"  has  «  had  enough  of  it,"  and  had  rather  be  «  at  home  "  on  his 

m  in  Delaware,  where  he  could  drive  his  horses,  and  ride  in  his 

arnage.     If  I  was  to  give  my  opinion,  I  should  agree  with  him.     I 

J  had  about  as  much  of  ocean  life  as  I  care  for.     It  has  become 

quite  tedious,  and  I  feel  that  when  through  with  this  voyage  I  shall 

)t  very  soon  want  another.     Indeed,  I  should  be  well  satisfied  now 

to  be  somewhere  on  the  land.    I  see  not  how  any  one  can  take  a  vov- 

age  for  the  pleasure  of  it.     When  a  person  has  rode  horseback  ten  o- 

twenty  miles,  he  generally  feels  like  getting  clear  of  the  animal,  at 

least  for  a  while.     That  is  much  as  I  feel.     I  should  like  to  stop  a 

white,  to  clear  myself  from  the  ship.     It  would   be  a  relief  to  rest  on 

e  land  for  an  hour,  and  then  I  would  go  on  again.     On  board,  one 

annot  sit,  stand,  walk  or  move,  with  quiet  comfort.     If  you  are  seated 

and  trying  to  be  quiet,  you  are  tossed  backwards  and  forwards,  jerked  to 

i  right  and  left,  and  perhaps  whirled  round  on  one  leg  of  your  chair  • 


MOULDY    CAKE.  OO 

>r,  if  you  are  lying  down,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  the  same  position. 
3n  the  transom,  you  are  going  hitch,  hitch,  until  you  are  sliding 
)ff,  unless  you  are  well  braced.  In  your  berth  you  are  often  rolled 
nit,  or,  what  is  nearly  as  bad,  you  think  you  are  going  to  be.  If 
you.  stand  still,  you  cannot  tell  which  way  you  may  go  next.  Now 
are  on  a  run-down-hill  across  the  cabin,  and  then  you  bring  up 
jn  the  table  or  over  the  settees.  When  you  start  you  cannot  calcu- 
ite,  for  a  certainty,  where  you  will  land.  In  walking  on  deck  we 
,st  along  very  well ;  for  there  we  can  see,  as  well  as  feel,  the  inclina- 
ions  of  the  vessel. 

Our  latitude  to-day  is  12  S.,  longitude  34  E.,  and  nearly  five  thou- 
sand miles  out.  Of  late  the  weather  has  been  squally,  with  wind  and 
•ain,  and  the  sea  rough.  It  will  toss  us  about  some  to-night,  but  we 
ire  becoming  accustomed  to  it. 

Sunday,  June  llth.  — We  have  another  pleasant  day  for  the  Sab- 
oath.  When  I  went  on  deck  this  morning,  the  same  contrast  between 
this  and  other  days  of  the  week  presented  itself  to  my  mind  as  there 
ilways  was  in  Boston.  There  seemed  almost  a  magical  influence 
\bove  and  around  us,  charming  everything  on  board  to  stillness:  and 
30  it  has  continued  throughout  the  day.  The  weather  being  about 
the  same,  no  alteration  was  required  in  the  sails,  so  that  the  crew 
spent  almost  the  entire  day  in  reading. 

Monday,  June  12th.  —  The  breeze  is  favorable.  I  have  spent  the  day 
in  reading  astronomy,  surgery,  &c.,  and  have  examined  my  private 

res.  As  six  weeks  had  elapsed,  I  thought  it  necessary  to  look  after 
the  large  tea-chest  of  cake  which  my  sisters  provided  for  me.  Thus 
far  I  have  had  very  little  desire  for  cake  or  sweets  of  any  kind,  and 
instead  of  sweets  I  crave  something  sour.  A  bottle  of  nice  pickles, 
which  I  keep  in  my  room,  is  often  in  demand.  I  took  out  the  chest 
and  placed  it  on  the  table  ;  all  were  interested  in  the  contents.  We 
opened  through  the  different  layers  of  coverings,  and  came  to  the  in- 
side, but  were  surprised  to  find  the  top  layer  all  beautifully  frosted, 
not  with  sugar,  but  with  mould.  About  half  the  chest  was  more  or 
less  tinctured  with  this  frosting,  and  had  to  be  separated  from  the  rest. 
I  sent  it  forward,  and  some  of  the  sailors  disposed  of  it,  hardly  noticing 
it.  Of  the  other,  we  had  some  for  tea,  and  it  was  very  good.  The 
captain  had  some  very  rich  cake,  which  he  opened,  and  found  it  had 
kept  perfectly.  He  says  that,  to  have  cake  keep  well  at  sea,' it  must 
be  rich,  and  have  brandy  put  into  it  when  made. 

A  very  beautiful  phosphorescent  appearance  of  the  water,  in  dark 


36  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

nights,  is  observed  near  the  equator,  extending  from  one  tropic  to  the 
other.  As  the  surface  of  the  sea  is  disturbed,  it  rolls  up  to  view  whole 
volumes  of  little  luminous  bodies,  similar  to  so  many  glow-worms  or 
fire-flies,  as  if  they  were  blown  up  by  a  blacksmith's  bellows.  And  at 
night  the  wake  of  the  vessel  is  like  a  canal  filled  with  agitated  white 
foam,  beautifully  illumined  with  sparks  and  globules  of  white,  sun- 
like  fire. 

Tuesday,  June  I3th.  —  Two  unknown  vessels  passed  at  a  distance 
early  this  morning.  We  had  an  animated  discussion  for  several  hours 
this  evening  on  the  elements  of  the  earth  —  the  comparative  extent 
of  water,  its  depth,  &c.  The  opposite  argued  that  where  the  depth 
of  the  sea  is  so  great  that  the  bottom  could  not  be  sounded,  the  water 
is  continuous  to  the  other  side. 

Retired  to  my  berth,  and  passed  a  night  full  of  incidents.  Me- 
thought  I  had  been  travelling  two  years  among  the  Chinese,  and  was 
on  my  way  home  overland.  I  called  at  Constantinople,  where  I  pro- 
posed to  stop  a  month  to  see  the  strange  things  of  that  city.  Among 
the  various  places  of  notice  was  the  slave-market.  There  I  saw, 
exposed  for  sale,  thirty  slaves,  all  handsome  Circassian  females,  with 
the  exception  of  two  blacks,  with  curly  hair  and  thick  lips  ;  their 
ages  ranging  from  fourteen  to  twenty-five  years.  One  of  them,  about 
twenty  years  of  age,  attracted  my  particular  attention.  From  her 
many  pleasing  qualities  I  felt  quite  an  interest  in  her.  To  say  that 
her  beauty  influenced  me  some,  I  of  course  could  not  deny  ;  but  her 
amiable  and  affectionate  deportment  did  more.  I  glanced  over  the 
group,  but  no  one  appeared  equally  interesting.  She  was  modest  and 
retiring,  blushing,  seemingly  because  of  so  public  an  exposure.  I 
walked  among  them,  and  learning  that  they  were  to  be  sold  in  an 
hour,  I  was  at  the  appointed  place.  Many  were  the  people,  mostly 
Turks,  who  were  now  examining  them.  One  was  looking  at  a  hand, 
another  at  an  eye,  another  at  the  hair  and  teeth ,  and  still  others  at 
the  feet,  to  see  that  they  were  perfect.  One  apparently  suited  in  every 
particular  came  behind  his  choice,  unconsciously  to  her,  and  snapped 
his  fingers  near  her  ear.  Satisfied  that  her  hearing  was  quick,  from 
the  surprise  she  evinced,  he  walked  away  with  an  air  that  said,  "  Ah  ! 
she  will  do  !  " 

I  was  content  to  view  them  at  a  greater  distance,  and  many  painful 
sensations  arose  in  my  mind  regarding  the  fate  awaiting  them. 

I  will  give  a  short  description  of  one  who  pleased  me  most.  She 
was  about  five  feet  in  height,  with  form  well  developed,  but  deli- 


A    DKEAM.  37 

cate.  Her  head  was  of  a  medium  size,  and  evenly  shaped  ;  her  hair, 
dark  and  long,  hung  in  thick  clusters  down  her  back.  The  contour 
of  the  face  was  oval,  and  rather  long,  and  wore  an  expression  of  sad- 
ness. Her  eyes  were  black,  small,  but  full  and  piercing  ;  her  eye- 
brows dark  and  regularly  arched  ;  eyelashes  long  and  curved  ;  nose 
and  chin  small  and  smoothly  moulded,  and  complexion  a  clear  red, 
approaching  to  a  dark  brunette.  More  particulars  I  will  not  speak. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  amiability  of  disposition  radiated  from  every 
feature  of  her  countenance,  and,  had  I  been  making  a  picture  of  a 
beautiful  creature,  I  should  have  made  it  as  like  her  portrait  as  pos- 
sible. 

As  I  gazed  on  the  scene  before  me,  I  stood  still  and  reflected.  I  said 
to  myself,  "Is  it  possible  that  these  beautiful  beings  are  to  be  sold 
for  money  ;  disposed  of  to  persons  they  know  not ;  brought  from 
their  native  country  to  serve  in  unknown  parts  ;  degraded  to  a  con- 
dition worse  than  the  slaves  of  our  own  country ;  subjected,  per- 
haps, to  the  will  and  passion  of  a  tyrant  master  ?  Can  it  be  that  they 
are  thus  to  be  sacrificed?"  Such  thoughts  occupied  my  mind  for 
some  time  ;  and  when  I  raised  my  head  from  the  revery  into  which  I 
had  fallen,  my  eyes  encountered  those  of  that  slave-girl.  For  some 
moments  I  could  not  withdraw  them.  And  what  a  look  she  gave  me  ! 
It  penetrated  my  very  soul !  It  spoke  in  volumes  and  tones  not  to  be 
misunderstood  !  With  all  the  eloquence  of  which  silent  language  is 
capable,  it  said,  "  Save  me  !  0,  save  me  !  Do  save  me  !  "  My  feel- 
ings keenly  responded  to  the  request.  I  thought  again  :  "  How  can 
I  save  you  ?  What  can  I  do?  That  I  might  change  the  fate  of  you 
and  your  companions  is  my  sincere  wish  ;  but  you  are  doomed  to  be 
sold  a  slave,  and  I  cannot  prevent  it." 

A  rustling,  humming  noise  now  arose  above  every  other  sound. 
The  sale  had  commenced,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  towards  the  group 
of  slaves.  A  few  words,  in  an  unknown  tongue,  were  spoken  ;  a  lit- 
tle delay  followed,  down  went  the  hammer,  and  the  fate  of  one  was 
sealed  !  In  the  space  of  a  few  minutes  down  again  went  the  hammer, 
and  another  was  gone  ;  down  again,  and  another.  In  quick  succession 
eight  were  disposed  of.  Fifteen  were  to  be  sold  to-day,  and  the  tenth 
was  of  particular  interest  to  me.  Ten  minutes  elapsed,  and  the  ninth 
was  gone.  The  ugly-looking  Turk  auctioneer,  as  he  seemed  to  me 
now,  stepped  quickly  along,  placed  one  hand  on  the  head  of  the  tenth, 
and  with  the  other  raised  his  hammer  high  over  his  turban.  Her 
4 


38  CIIIXA    AND    MAXILLA. 

head  was  bowed,  and  resting  upon  her  bosom.  A  rich  red  scarf, 
twirled  over  her  forehead,  was  gathered  in  folds,  and  with  one  hand 
pressed  to  her  chest.  Her  turn  had  come  to  be  sold  :  several  bids 
were  made.  That  her  fine  proportions  might  be  better  displayed,  the 
auctioneer  pulled  off  her  shawl,  and  in  a  manner  so  rough  that  I  was 
much  inclined  to  pull  off  his  large  turban  also.  She  raised  her  eyes, 
which  again  met  mine.  There  was  the  same  imploring  look,  but 
mingled  with  dejected  sadness  and  despair,  which  said,  "  Save  me  !  0, 
save  me  !  I  have  no  friends  —  no,  not  one  !  "  I  felt  myself  to  tremble 
Avith  emotion ;  and  I  turned  and  near  by  leaned  on  a  block  of  marble, 
that  I  might  the  better  conceal  my  agitation.  I  thought,  "  What  can 
I  do  ?  If  I  purchase  you,  you  are  no  better  off;  you  are  still  a  slave. 
If  I  could  marry  you,  and  take  you  to  America,  we  should  both  be 
discarded  ;  and  never  could  I  endure  to  make  a  servant  of  you,  even 

if  I  had  occasion  for  one,  and ' '  But  the  sharp  tones  of  the 

auctioneer's  voice  rose  above  everything  else,  though  I  understood  not 
a  word  he  said. 

"  How  much,"  said  I  to  the  American  consul,  who  had  kindly  ac- 
companied me,  and  who  stood  near  —  "  how  much  is  there  bid  upon 
her  now?  " 

"  Just  eight  hundred  dollars,"  he  answered  ;  "  and  shall  I  bid  for 
you?  "  said  he. 

I  knew  not  what  to  say,  but,  after  some  hesitation,  the  rapid  artic- 
ulations of  the  auctioneer  again  falling  upon  my  ear,  my  lips  involun- 
tarily allowed  to  escape  the  words,  "  Yes,  sir,  do  so,  if  you  please." 

"  Twenty-five  dollars  a  bid,"  said  he  to  me,  "  and  now  it  is  nine 
hundred.  Over  there  is  your  opponent,  —  that  Jew." 

I  looked,  and  saw  an  old,  haggard  man,  dressed  in  a  long  robe,  with 
a  brown  turban  on  his  head.  He  had  a  gray,  flowing  beard,  which 
fell  upon  his  breast.  The  bids  continued  between  the  Jew  and  myself 
—  all  the  others  stopped  at  nine  hundred. 

"  Nine  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  now,"  said  the  consitl  to 
me. 

I  was  watching  closely,  first  the  auctioneer,  then  the  slave-girl, 
then  the  Jew,  and  again  my  friend.  I  saw  the  hammer  raised,  and 
as  if  coming  down  for  the  last  time. 

"  Go  on,"  said  I  to  the  consul. 

The  few  remaining  moments  were  a  torturing  suspense,  and  ended 
in  the  consul's  saying, 

"  Just  one  thousand  dollars,  and  she  is  yours." 


A    DREAM.  39 

I  felt  now  as  badly  as  before,  for  I  did  not  know  what  course  to 
pursue  with  her.  The  sale  being  concluded,  she  appeared  in  great 
distress,  gazing  wildly  around ;  but  when  she  saw  me  pay  the 
money,  she  became  calm,  and,  for  the  first  time,  smiled.  I  had  her 
conducted  to  the  hotel,  and  a  room  provided  for  her,  opposite  mine. 
We  could  not  understand  a  word  said  to  each  other,  and  for  some  days 
I  was  in  much  perplexity.  I  was  frequently  in  her  room,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  an  interpreter,  I  learned  much  of  her  history.  A  more 
beautiful  and  amiable  being  I  thought  I  had  never  met.  If  she  had 
such  things  as  faults,  I  was  too  blind  to  perceive  them  ;  and  I  resolved 
to  marry  her,  if  she  would  consent,  even  were  I  obliged  to  live  in  ob- 
scurity the  remainder  of  my  life.  Happiness  was  my  motto,  and  the 
proposal  was  made  through  the  interpreter.  In  answer,  she  said  that 
she  could  not  believe  I  was  in  earnest,  for  she  was  nothing  but  a  slave  ; 
and  could  I  marry  a  slave?  I  said,  "  I  truly  am  in  earnest."  She 
then  answered,  that  if  I  really  could  condescend  to  make  her  my 
wife,  she  should  consider  herself  very  happy,  and  would  go  with  me  to 
any  part  of  the  world. 

At  the  end  of  a  week  our  marriage  took  place,  and  we  immediately 
set  out  to  seek  a  spot  secluded  from  communication  with  the  world. 
In  three  months  we  arrived  at  our  destination  —  an  uninhabited  island 
in  the  Indian  Ocean,  called  St.  Paul's.  Here  we  lived,  somewhat  after 
the  Robinson  Crusoe  style,  though  not  in  so  destitute  a  condition  ;  for 
we  bad  anticipated  our  many  wants,  and  brought  a  great  variety  of 
articles  for  our  comfort.  We  had  books,  clothes,  furniture,  axes, 
knives,  vegetable  and  fruit  seeds,  paper,  pens,  ink,  &c.  &c.  We  built 
two  houses,  one  on  the  ground  to  live  in  during  the  day,  the  other  for 
the  night,  upon  posts  twenty  feet  high,  and  made  by  sawing  off  the 
tops  of  trees.  At  dark  we  always  pulled  up  the  ladder,  for  we  did 
not  know  what  animals  might  be  on  the  island.  We  never  wanted  for 
employment.  Each  day  brought  something  to  occupy  our  minds  and 
hands,  either  in  preparing  the  land  for  the  little  crop,  exploring  the 
island,  gunning,  fishing,  examining  the  minerals  and  ores,  the  volcanic 
crater,  or  attending  to  the  various  domestic  affairs.  Still  considerable 
time  was  consumed  in  reading,  writing,  &c.,  and  in  numerous  expla- 
nations to  each  other  in  our  respective  languages.  But,  should  I  give 
a  full  relation  of  our  happy  life,  I  should  have  to  write  a  volume,  and 
imagination  must  supply  the  deficiency.  You  would  like,  I  suppose, 
to  know  how  long  we  sojourned  here  in  this  romantic  state.  It  must 
have  been  more  than  six  years  ;  for  when  we  were  grouped  together, 


40  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

one  sunny  morning,  in  front  of  our  little  cottage,  and  my  wife,  hav- 
ing learned  the  English  language,  was  engaged  in  teaching  the  chil- 
dren, who  only  knew  how  to  converse  in  a  language  half  Circassian 
and  half  English,  I  remarked  to  her  that  our  little  boy  was  live  years 
old  yesterday  ;  that  to-morrow  the  little  girl  would  be  three  ;  that 
they  were  now  old  enough  to  learn  ;  that  their  education  would  en- 
tirely depend  on  her,  and  that,  as  I  should  continue  to  teach  her,  she 
must  teach  the  children.  Conversing  on  the  singularity  of  our  life, 
and  of  our  respective  friends  at  home,  she  commenced  a  history  of  her 
life,  previous  to  the  time  I  first  saw  her.  She  had  told  me  of  their 
family  —  their  affluence  and  respectability,  the  high  rank  of  their  rela- 
tions before  the  wars  had  impoverished  their  country,  —  their  "  b<  duti- 
ful Circassia,^'  —  the  accomplishments  of  music,  languages,  painting, 
&c.,  which  her  father  had  bestowed  on  her  ;  the  wealth  of  her  father  ; 
his  reduced  circumstances  and  loss  of  property  afterwards  ;  the  dis- 
posal of  herself  to  cancel  a  debt  of  five  hundred  dollars  ;  the  heart- 
rending separation,  and  her  departure  for  the  slave-market  at  Con- 
stantinople. I  was  deeply  interested  in  her  account,  for  she  had  never 
related  it  before,  fearing,  as  she  said,  that  it  might  diminish  my  love 
for  her,  but  which  she  did  not  then  fear.  I  was  listening  with  the 
deepest  emotions,  when  suddenly  strange  sounds  seemed  to  fill  the  air. 
My  senses  became  confused.  I  saw  ourselves  becoming  enveloped  in 
thick  clouds  of  white  vapor.  My  lovely  Circassian  wife  was  sinking 
away  from  my  sight.  Children,  houses,  island  and  all,  were  disappear- 
ing together.  I  sprang  to  overtake  and  save  them,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  I  fancied  I  heard,  in  the  midst  of  all,  terms  several  years  before 
familiar  to  me  — 

"  Doctor  !  Doctor  !  " 

The  next  moment  I  perceived  that  I  was  in  a  small  room,  and  I 
gazed  around  in  a  half-bewildered  state.  To  my  astonishment,  I  found 
myself  sitting  up  in  my  berth,  in  my  own  state-room.  In  the  half- 
opened  door  was  the  black  face  of  the  steward,  with  lips  stretched  into 
an  exulting  grin,  and  crying  out,  for  the  second  time, 

"  I  eay,  Doctor  !  eight  bells  —  breakfast  now." 

And  thus  the  dream  of  my  short-lived  happiness  terminated  by  a 
return  to  the  realities  of  sea  life. 

June  \4th.  —  I  was  thus  aroused  at  eight  bells.  A  vessel  has  fol- 
lowed astern  of  us,  just  in  sight,  all  day,  but  could  not  overtake  us  ; 
and  now  she  is  lost  to  view.  Yesterday  I  wrote  on  a  piece  of  paper 
our  latitude  and  longitude,  the  captain's  name  and  passengers',  "  all 


MORE    DISCOMFORTS.  41 

well,"  &c.,  enclosed  it  in  a  bottle,  and  threw  it  overboard,  so  that  if 
it  should  get  ashore,  or  be  picked  up,  the  vessel  might  be  reported  ; 
yet  there  is  little  probability  of  its  ever  being  seen  again,  though  I 
may  yet  hear  from  it.  There  was  a  sudden  squall,  with  some  thunder 
and  lightning.  We  staid  on  deck  to  watch  the  bustling  of  the  crew 
while  furling  the  sails.  The  squall  did  not  last  long,  but  it  rained 
considerably. 

Thursday,  June  15th.  —  The  wind  is  more  blustering  to-day,  and  the 
gea  more  rough,  —  with  a  rolling  and  disagreeable  motion,  causing  the 
water  to  break  over  the  deck.  At  the  table  we  have  to  look  out  for 
our  plates,  knives,  forks,  tumblers,  &c.,  or  they  are  suddenly  depos- 
ited in  our  laps,  or  are  rattling  on  the  floor.  Sometimes,  while  lifting 
food  to  our  mouths,  we  have  to  drop  our  knife  or  spoon,  arid  catch 
our  tumbler  or  other  articles.  Occasionally  something  is  thrown  from 
the  table  to  the  floor,  and  is  broken.  In  this  kind  of  weather  it  is 
difficult  to  do  anything  by  way  of  pleasure  or  improvement.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  reach  the  end  of  our  voyage. 

At  dinner  to-day  I  received  in  my  lap  a  part  of  a  plate  of  hot  soup. 
One  of  our  number,  in  biting  off  a  piece  of  hard  cracker,  had  to  drop 
it  to  catch  his  plate,  which  was  en  route  for  my  lap  ;  and  the  cracker 
fell  with  a  splash  into  the  soup,  spattering  it  over  us.  Mr.  R. 
remarked,  "  Well,  this  is  hard  eating.  How  comfortable  it  will  be  to 
get  home  again,  and  sit  at  a  table  in  your  own  house,  where  every- 
thing is  not  on  the  move  !  " 

Several  Cape-of-Good-lIope  birds  made  their  appearance  to-day 
about  the  vessel,  and  must  have  flown  a  long  distance. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

SEA-BIRDS  OFF  THE  CAPE. TRISTAN  DE  ACUHNA. SUNSET  SCENE. STORM 

SCENE. CAPE    OF    GOOD      HOPE. THE    BLACK     CLOUD. BIRDS     AND 

FISH.  PORPOISE    TAKEN. FOURTH   OF   JULY    ON   BOARD. 

FRIDAY,  June  16lh.  —  The  last  was  the  longest  night  I  have  yet  had 
on  shipboard.  I  was  very  anxious  to  get  asleep,  but  could  not,  such 
was  the  rolling  motion  of  the  vessel  ;  and  my  continued  efforts  to  fix 
myself  in  au  immovable  position  served  to  lengthen  out  the  night. 

4* 


42  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

It  has  been  quite  rough  all  day,  the  sea  running  high,  the  vessel 
careening  first  on  one  side  and  then  the  other,  and  then  shooting  down 
the  inclined  surfaces,  and  burying  her  nose  in  the  opposing  sea.  We 
had  to  use  considerable  tact  in  taking  our  dinner,  such  was  the  tend- 
ency of  the  dishes  to  discontinue  all  connection  with  the  table  :  as  an 
illustration  of  which,  Mr.  R.'s  tumbler  of  water  went  over  to  the  other 
eide,  and  into  Mr.  H.'s  plate  and  lap.  We  have  a  rack  on  the  table  to 
restrain  the  movements  of  the  articles  there,  yet  they  manifest  every 
indication  of  life.  At  these  times  the  steward  holds  the  pitcher  and 
castor,  and  in  that  way  we  use  from  them.  Many  things  have  to  be 
dispensed  with,  or  brought  on  singly  and  then  carried  away  again 
when  used. 

Many  Cape-birds  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel,  though  we  are  yet 
some  two  thousand  miles  from  the  Cape. 

They  are  the  Cape-pigeon,  albatross,  and  other  birds,  the  names  of 
which  we  do  not  know.  I  tried  to  catch  some  of  them  with  a  hook 
and  line  ;  but  it  was  too  windy.  —  they  could  not  seize  the  bait  when 
we  were  going  at  nine  or  ten  knots  an  hour. 

We  have  made  two  hundred  and  thirteen  miles,  south  and  east 
during  the  day.  The  carpenter  has  been  down  and  put  extra  boards 
on  our  berths,  to  prevent  our  falling  out.  The  weather  is  becoming 
colder  as  we  go  south,  obliging  us  to  change  our  clothing  again,  and 
put  on  flannel,  although  it  is  little  more  than  a  week  since  we  put 
on  thin  clothes.  I  expect  another  rough  night ;  the  sea  increases, 
though  the  sky  is  now  clear,  after  some  little  rain-squalls  yesterday 
and  to-day.  I  reluctantly  take  to  my  berth  at  eleven  p.  M.  :  for  the 
sea  is  tossing  us  about,  as  it  did  the  first  Friday  night,  and  I  do  not 
fancy  it  at  all. 

Saturday,  June  17th.  —  Six  thousand  and  ninety-seven  miles  out.  — 
Well,  we  had  last  night  another  Friday  night,  similar  to  that  the  first 
week  out,  and  I  could  get  no  sleep.  We  are  now  midway  between 
Africa  and  South  America,  in  29°  south,  steering  towards  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

Sunday,  June  18th. —  I  rested  well  last  night,  which  was  quite  a  lux- 
ury, the  sea  having  gone  down  in  the  night.  I  read  in  Swedenborg's 
works  and  the  Boston  Christian  Register,  which  made  me  feel  at  home, 
until  something  diverted  my  thoughts,  and  reminded  me  where  I  was. 

Towards  night  I  let  my  line  over,  and  caught  one  of  the  sea-birds. 
I  do  not  know  its  name  ;  but  it  looked  like  a  crow,  though  larger,  and 
web-footed.  They  are  about  the  si/e  of  a  young  goose,  or  a  i'ull-^nr.vn 


SUNSET    SCENE.  43 

duck,  but  are  not  the  albatross,  many  of  which  are  among  them.  The 
hook  caught  in  the  upper  part  of  its  bill,  and  it  was  thus  drawn  up 
easily,  though  not  so  easy  for  the  bird.  These  sea-birds  cannot  stand 
on  the  deck.  They  are  so  constantly  on  the  water  that  they  have  no 
occasion  to  use  their  legs,  and  when  they  attempt  to  stand  they  cannot 
support  the  weight  of  their  own  bodies.  As  they  cannot  raise  them- 
selves upon  their  legs,  they  cannot  fly  from  the  deck ;  and  they 
look  amusingly  stupid,  flapping  their  wings,  vomiting,  and  tumbling 
about. 

Monday,  June  19th. — The  weather  is  quite  cold.  Our  progress  to- 
day will  not  compare  well  with  that  of  a  few  days  past,  when  we  have 
made  in  a  single  day  two  hundred  and  thirteen  miles.  We  have  sailed 
to-day  but  ninety  miles.  The  time  seems  long  in  getting  from  the 
equator  to  the  Cape.  Cape-birds  of  several  species  abound  here. 
They  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel  for  the  crumbs  and  offal  thrown 
overboard,  and  manifest  very  little  fear,  alighting  often  under  the 
stern,  and  leisurely  picking  at  their  food.  At  other  times  they  seem 
constantly  on  the  -wing. 

Tuesday,  June  20th. —  The  weather  is  pretty  cold,  and  with  Mr.  R. 
I  have  exercised  in  walking  the  deck,  it  being  rather  cool  sitting  long 
in  the  cabin.  We  have  no  conveniences  for  fire,  and  shall  have  none 
during  the  passage,  however  cold  it  may  be.  We  are  now  near  the 
island  of  Tristan  de  Acuhna. 

Last  evening  we  had  a  most  beautiful  sunset.  I  could  but  remember, 
what  I  had  often  heard,  that  there  "  was  nothing  like  the  sunsets  of 
southern  latitudes."  And  this  was  the  most  splendid  of  anything  of 
the  kind  I  had  ever  seen,  not  excepting  some  very  beautiful  ones  from 
the  Winthrop  House,  in  Boston.  The  whole  expanse  of  water  within 
the  circle  of  the  horizon  was  enveloped  in  darkness,  except  the  part 
towards  the  west.  The  sun  had  sunk  from  sight  for  an  hour.  The  moon 
had  not  yet  risen.  The  stars  shone  brightly  out  of  blackness,  and  the 
milky-way  added  only  a  faint  streak  to  the  dark  but  glittering  dome 
which  seemed  placed  over  us  for  the  occasion.  Beyond  a  world  of 
black  massive  clouds  the  rays  of  the  sun  were  sending  upwards  a 
flood  of  blood-red  light.  The  clouds  in  front  presented  a  bulwark 
dark  and  threatening,  as  if  to  separate  this  world  from  that  beyond. 
The  upper  part  was  a  broad,  serrated,  and  broken  bank,  extending  in 
an  irregular  line ;  and  over  it  a  black  pall  was  thrown,  as  if  to  hide 
from  view  a  portion  of  the  fiery  glare,  and  then  behind  this,  extending 
backward  and  gradually  upward  into  space,  the  clouds  had  assumed 


44  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

the  forms  of  immense  boulders  of  rock-crystal.  These  were  of  every 
degree  of  transparency,  and  every  variety  of  color.  They  were  tumbled 
into  such  positions  as  to  disclose  among  them  gulfs,  seas,  plains, 
and  caverns,  deep  chasms,  ravines  and  abysses  of  unfathomable  depth  : 
some  formed  themselves  into  mountains,  ridges,  and  intersecting 
valleys.  The  contrast  between  the  black  barrier  in  front  and  the 
indescribable  glowing  back-ground  was  exceedingly  impressive.  The 
rich  red  and  white,  and  the  golden  light  mingled  with  the  blue,  like 
a  burning  mixture  floating  within,  illuminated  the  whole  to  electrical 
brightness.  It  spread  over  every  surface,  and  penetrated  every  object 
•with  an  infinite  variety  of  colors  the  most  gorgeous.  Here  the  huge 
masses  were  of  a  deep  and  fiery  red,  the  color  deepening  or  becoming 
fainter  as  they  extended  towards  the  opposite  surface  ;  and  there  they 
were  yellow,  soft,  and  light.  Some  were  of  a  glowing  white,  as  if  near 
the  melting  point ;  and  other  portions  were  of  a  gaudy,  shining  tinsel, 
of  blue  and  red,  blending  into  all  the  various  shades  of  purple,  and 
these  modified  by  the  fervid  hues  of  yellow.  There  were  the  crimson, 
the  orange,  pink,  violet,  azure,  with  all  their  intermediate  tints,  in  all 
the  softness  of  velvet ;  and  some  of  the  clouds  were  bordered  with 
stripes  of  liquid  silver  and  gold,  glistening  with  great  brilliancy. 
This  scenery  seemed  within  bullet-shot,  and  it  appeared  so  hard  and 
natural,  that,  could  I  get  to  it,  I  might  enjoy  myself  in  surmounting 
its  fairy  heights. 

South  Atlantic,  Thursday,  June  22d. —  The  wind  blew  strongly  last 
night,  and  has  given  us  a  tine  run  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles 
for  the  last  day.  The  sea  has  been  increasing  in  its  turbulence 
through  the  forenoon  :  what  it  will  end  in  I  cannot  say.  The  wind 
also  increases  in  violence,  and  the  waves  begin  to  show  some  paroxysms 
of  a  frothy  nature.  I  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  describe  the 
appearance  of  the  ocean  as  it  is  now  to  be  seen  around  us,  or  that  I 
could  paint  a  picture  of  it  in  its  true  colors  ;  but  paint  cannot  exhibit 
motion. 

A  storm  is  evidently  brewing.  The  captain  does  not  mean  to  be 
caught  napping.  He  has  had  the  sails  double  reefed,  and  the  ship 
generally  put  in  trim.  On  deck,  boats,  hen-coops,  pig-pens,  <fcc.,  are 
all  made  fast. 

The  pigs,  partaking  of  the  general  excitement,  are  standing  on  their 
hind  legs,  with  heads  raised  above  the  pens,  snuffing  the  air,  and  look- 
ing anxiously  and  inquiringly,  as  if  wondering  what  all  the  stir  can 
be  about.  Now  and  then  a  volume  of  spray  comes  splashing  across 


A   GALE.  45 

their  faces,  which  causes  them,  with  fitful  squeals,  suddenly  to  drop 
their  heads  and  shrink  away,  apparently  disgusted  with  their  life  at 
eea.  This,  however,  is  the  place  to  expect  rough  weather ;  for  we  are 
in  the  dominion  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  bears  such  a  stormy 
character. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  below  trying  to  read,  Mr.  R. 
called  me  from  the  companion-way  to  "  come  up  and  take  a  look  at 
things  now." 

I  went  on  deck  ;  and  what  a  magnificent  spectacle  did  the  ocean 
present !  How  truly  sublime  was  the  whole  scene  around  !  What  a 
turbulent  and  agitated  world  of  billows  !  With  what  ferocity  did  the 
seas  form  and  whirl  themselves  up,  and  with  what  mildness  did  they 
sink  away  !  How  fawning  their  curling  summits,  and  how  threaten- 
ing their  yawning  chasms !  But  it  is  mockery  to  attempt  a  description 
of  the  storm.  The  wind  is  furious  and  the  waters  are  mad,  is  all  that 
I  can  say.  And  yet,  how  I  like  to  gaze  on  it !  I  look  at  it  all  the 
time,  yet  I  cannot  see  it  enough.  For  two  hours  have  I  gazed,  and  my 
eyes  are  not  tired. 

How  resolutely  does  the  vessel  glide  along,  and  dash  head  foremost 
into  the  foaming  eea  !  How  desperately  does  she  plunge  her  head  into 
the  opposing  wave,  reeling  with  the  shock  as  if  she  would  make 
each  her  last !  And,  again,  with  what  recklessness,  and  yet  ease,  does 
she  sweep  her  masts  from  side  to  side,  and  strike  her  spars  into  the 
water  beneath ! 

The  gale  continued  till  eight  o'clock,  when  it  suddenly  ceased,  and 
the  sea  became  so  calm  that  we  ventured  to  try  a  game  of  whist ;  but 
the  motion  of  the  vessel  made  it  a  short  one.  At  about  eleven  in  the 
evening  we  again  went  on  deck,  and  admired  the  grandeur  of  the  scene 
as  it  appeared  after  the  storm,  spending  an  hour  very  pleasantly.  It 
is  after  a  storm,  more  than  during  its  continuance,  that  the  sea  appears 
the  most  dangerous.  The  billows  continue  to  rise  and  fall,  tumbling 
and  splashing  in  all  directions,  and  lashing  each  other  with  utter 
recklessness,  with  no  sympathy  for  the  poor  vessel,  which  now,  with- 
out the  wind  to  steady  it,  is  knocked  about  entirely  at  their  mercy. 
Mr.  D.  could  not  enjoy  this  scene,  he  being  quite  sea-sick. 

We  have  had  the  wind  from  the  north,  which  came  warm  from  the 
equator,  till  now,  when  we  have  it  as  the  winter's  blast  from  the 
south  pole.  The  sailors,  as  they  hurried  from  place  to  place,  were 
drenched  through  by  the  seas  constantly  breaking  over.  Now  and 
then,  as  the  vessel  rocked  from  side  to  side,  she  would  ship  large  vol- 


46  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

umes  of  water,  which  rolled  in  torrents  the  whole  length  of  the  deck, 
and  occasionally  penetrating  the  cabin.  It  is  very  disagreeable  on 
board  ship  at  these  times.  Everything  is  cold  and  wet,  both  above 
and  below. 

Friday,  June  23d.  —  To-day  it  is  cold,  the  thermometer  standing  at 
forty  degrees  Fahrenheit.  It  is  June,  and  yet  we  have  our  great-coats 
on  and  the  cabin-door  shut.  A  few  degrees  further  south,  and  we 
shall  have  weather  the  reverse  of  that  at  home  —  winter  in  July. 

We  have  now  some  company  —  many  birds  following  the  vessel, 
flying  around,  and  alighting  in  the  water.  They  are  the  Cape-pigeon, 
the  albatross,  and  a  species  of  bird  that  I  should  call  a  crow-duck. 

Off  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Sunday,  June  25th.  —  Our  Sundays  seem 
destined  to  be  calmer,  milder  and  pleasanter,  than  any  other  days  in 
the  week,  which  we  all  are  very  glad  to  see.  I  read  the  Christian 
Register,  a  few  chapters  in  the  Bible,  and  Swedenborg's  work  on  the 
Soul.  I  am  not  a  Swedenborgian,  but  like  to  read  his  writings.  For 
the  last  two  or  three  days  we  have  made  very  little  progress  in  sailing. 

Monday,  June  26th.  —  The  winds  in  this  latitude  are  very  variable, 
being  sometimes  rough  and  boisterous,  increasing  to  a  gale,  and  at 
other  time  slight  and  unsteady,  or  decreasing  even  to  a  calm.  To-day  it 
blows  from  one  quarter,  and  to-morrow  from  another.  Yesterday  the 
wind  was  from  the  north,  bringing  along  warm  breezes  from  the 
equator  ;  and  to-day  is  very  comfortable,  the  wind  being  from  the  same 
quarter. 

Wednesday,  June  28th.  —  This  is  a  cold,  cloudy,  cheerless  day,  and 
we  keep  as  snug  as  possible  in  the  cabin ;  but  I  find  that  the  most 
comfortable  place  is  in  my  own  room.  However  cold  it  may  be,  we 
contrive  to  exercise  some  on  deck  every  day. 

A  large  albatross,  and  numerous  other  birds,  made  their  appearance 
to-day.  I  have  noticed,  for  a  week  past,  the  "  black  cloud  "  (so 
called) ,  which  is  seen  only  in  southern  latitudes.  It  appears  in  the 
south-westerly  part  of  the  heavens,  about  fifty  degrees  from  the  horizon. 
It  looks  like  a  cave  in  the  sky,  as  if  a  portion  of  the  dome,  arched 
with  bright  stars,  had  been  broken  out,  leaving  a  deep  and  black 
cavern.  It  can  always  be  seen  in  the  evening,  when  not  obscured  l>y 
clouds.  I  find  myself  frequently  gazing  on  it,  and  wondering  what 
can  be  its  character.  It  cannot  be  a  black  cloud  ;  for  a  cloud  cannot 
always  remain  stationary.  I  can,  or  fancy  I  can,  look  into  it,  and  see 
a  depth,  with  lighter  and  darker  shades  upon  ita  irregular  sides,  like 
the  view  of  a  cave  by  moonlight. 


ALBATROSSES    AND    PORPOISES.  47 

Off  the  Cape,  Thursday,  June  2Qth.  — We  are  nearly  becalmed,  the 
weather  is  warm  and  spring-like  ;  some  eight  or  ten  large  albatrosses 
are  flying  around  us,  and  a  few  birds  of  other  kinds.  Every  species  of 
bird  seems  to  have  a  distinct  province  on  the  ocean,  and  goes  but  little 
beyond  it.  The  crow-ducks,  and  some  others,  we  have  left  to  the  north, 
and  their  places  are  supplied  by  the  silver-bird,  about  the  size  of  a 
night-hawk  ;  a  large  brown  bird,  of  the  size  of  a  duck,  or  larger  ;  and 
the  albatross,  which  looks  something  like  a  goose,  and  has  a  white  body, 
with  dark-colored  wings.  The  wings  of  the  silver-bird,  on  the  under  side, 
appear  like  molten  silver  when  the  sun  shines  on  them.  A  few  of  the 
Cape-pigeons  are  still  to  be  seen.  They  have  two  prominent  white 
spots  on  each  wing,  resembling  half-moons.  Mother  Carey's  chickens 
have  not  been  seen  for  a  long  time. 

I  tried  a  long  time  to-day  to  catch  one  of  the  large  albatrosses  with 
a  line  and  hook,  baited  with  a  bit  of  pork.  1  dropped  it  over  the 
stern.  One  after  another  of  the  different  kinds  of  birds  flew  down, 
until  they  were  a  large  flock  on  the  water,  picking  at  the  bait,  cack- 
ling, quarrelling,  and  screaming.  One  was  soon  caught,  but  before  I 
could  draw  it  on  deck  the  hook  had  pulled  from  its  mouth.  Others 
were  caught,  and  escaped  in  the  same  way  ;  and,  thinking  that  I  would 
cause  pain  to  no  more  of  them,  I  amused  myself  in  toling  them  after 
the  vessel ,  by  throwing  over  crumbs  of  bread. 

A  shoal  of  porpoises  made  us  a  visit  to-day.  They  came  around 
twice  this  afternoon,  fifty  or  a  hundred  in  a  shoal.  Mr.  Burgess 
threw  a  harpoon  into  one  of  them,  but  before  the  porpoise  could  be 
hauled  up  its  weight  pulled  away  from  the  harpoon,  and  it  escaped. 
The  blood  poured  out  of  its  wounds,  and  the  others  immediately  gave 
chase  (as  they  always  do) ,  worrying  the  wounded  one  until  it  dies. 
A  shoal  of  porpoises  is  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  animating  of 
sights  at  sea.  They  generally  appear  first  under  the  bows  of  the 
vessel,  sporting  with  each  other  like  a  pack  of  dogs  before  a  horse. 
They  seem  to  think  that  the  vessel  is  a  big  fish  of  their  own  species, 
and  delight  in  running  just  ahead  of  it,  darting  back  and  forth,  below 
and  upward,  beneath  the  bows,  chasing  each  other  around  and  under- 
neath the  vessel.  Often,  in  their  excited  racings,  they  leap  entirely  out 
of  the  water.  (See  p.  30.)  They  usually  remain  near  the  vessel  for 
about  half  an  hour. 

We  are  nearly  becalmed  this  evening,  which  is  very  interesting  for 
people  who  are  in  a  hurry  ;  but  we  are  past  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 


48  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

running  along  the  southern  coast  of  Africa,  though  a  long  way 
from  it. 

Friday,  June  30/A.  —  This  is  another  spring-like  morning.  There 
is  hardly  any  wind,  and  the  sea  is  very  smooth  ;  all  of  which  makes 
the  captain,  as  well  as  ourselves,  very  impatient.  To  compensate  a 
little,  I  again  tried  fishing  for  the  albatross, — witli  the  success  of 
yesterday. 

Indian  Ocean,  Saturday,  July  1st.  —  Here,  it  is  in  the  middle  of 
winter.  It  sounds  very  queer  to  say  July,  one  of  the  winter  months. 
Though  it  is  winter,  it  seems  more  like  April  to-day ;  but  there  is 
no  knowing  what  may  be  to-morrow.  The  thermometer  stands  at 
sixty-eight  in  the  cabin.  We  can  now  say  that  we  have  entered  the 
Indian  ocean  ;  which,  when  a  little  boy,  I  used  to  think  was  a  great 
ocean  of  hot  water.  It  is  cold  enough  now,  at  all  events. 

We  have  kept  in  latitude  thirty-nine  degrees,  so  far  to  the  south,  to 
avoid  the  westerly  current,  which  runs  around  the  "  great  bank." 
This  bank  extends  some  sixty  miles  from  the  Cape.  We  have  had 
more  showers  towards  night. 

It  seems  hardly  possible  that  we  have  been  nearly  two  months  on 
the  sea.  The  old  vessel  appears  like  home  to  us  now,  although  we 
are  tired.  I  think  it  would  rest  me  to  step  out  and  go  on  foot  for  a 
few  miles.  I  am  sometimes  almost  tempted  to  jump  over  the  ship's 
side.  It  would  be  a  great  luxury  to  lie  down  for  an  hour  on  the  still 
ground  on  shore.  If  any  of  you  have  rode  a  whole  day  cramped  up 
in  a  full  stage-coach,  till  thoroughly  tired,  you  can  imagine  something 
of  our  feelings.  We  are  now  anticipating,  in  two  or  three  weeks,  to 
make  St.  Paul's  Island,  or  Christmas  Island,  which  to  us  caged  birds 
will,  no  doubt,  be  a  rich  treat.  It  lies  to  the  south  of  east  of  us. 

Thus  far  we  have  been  blessed  with  comfortable  weather  around  the 
Cape.  The  captain  says  that  he  never  had  a  more  pleasant  voyage 
than  the  present,  in  this  part  of  the  ocean  ;  but  there  is  time  enough 
yet  for  bad  weather. 

Sunday,  July  2d.  —  I  noticed  last  evening  the  two  white  clouds 
called  the  "  Magellan  clouds."  They  are  the  beacon-clouds  for  the 
eouth,  as  the  north  star  is  for  the  north.  They  resemble  portions  of 
the  milky-way,  but  look  more  like  chalk  rubbed  on  the  blue  vault  of 
the  sky.  We  have  had  another  pleasant  Sunday,  and  almost  a  calm, 
with  slight  showers  at  noon.  We  have  mock-turtle  soup  for  dinner 
every  Sunday,  which  is  made  from  fresh  pork,  &c.,  and  is  very  nice. 

Monday,  July  Zd.  —  A  porpoise  was  captured  to-day,  and  so  little 


FOURTH    OF   JULY   AT    SEA.  49 

noise  was  made  that  we  knew  nothing  of  it  till  it  was  dressed  and 
hung  up.  Apart  from  the  color,  which  was  very  dark,  it  resembled 
the  carcass  of  a  pig.  It  had  a  nose  or  snout  some  twelve  inches  long, 
and  I  should  say  it  would  answer  to  the  sea-hog,  as  there  are  other 
animals  to  answer  to  the  sea-elephant,  sea-lion,  &c.  The  flesh  was 
like  meat  rather  than  fish  ;  the  kidneys  looked  like  bunches  of  grapes. 
We  had  some  of  the  meat  for  breakfast,  and  I  took  a  few  mouthf uls, 
but  directly  discovered  that  I  was  not  particularly  hungry,  its  taste 
being  disagreeably  fishy,  and  I  turned  away  to  something  else. 

Tuesday,  July  ilh. — This  is  the  glorious  fourth,  the  first  I  ever 
spent  at  sea.  It  is  also  the  coldest  one,  it  being  now  mid-winter.  We 
are  to  the  south  of  the  lowest  point  of  Africa,  in  latitude  39°  south, 
and  longitude  32°  east,  in  the  latitude  of  the  northern  part  of  Patagonia, 
and  the  longitude  of  Constantinople.  We  were  up  between  six  and 
seven  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  sun  as  it  came  up  from  the  sea.  We 
all  wished  to  behold  a  sunrise  at  sea,  and  thought  that  the  fourth 
would  be  the  best  day,  by  which  it  might  be  more  vividly  remembered. 
We  were,  however,  disappointed ;  for,  a  short  time  before  the  sun 
arose,  it  was  obscured  by  gathering  clouds. 

The  wind  is  north  from  the  African  coast,  and  at  evening  it  is  quite 
brisk,  so  that  we  travel  much  faster  by  night  than  by  day.  We  have 
celebrated  the  day  on  board  in  a  small  way ;  but  it  was  very  select, 
being  confined  to  the  captain  and  passengers.  All  our  fire-arms  were 
mustered  on  deck,  consisting  of  two  fowling-pieces  and  quite  a  variety 
of  pistols.  With  these  we  made  considerable  noise,  and  our  salutes 
were  very  good.  We  had  no  oration,  but  we  talked  a  good  deal,  and 
discussed  how  the  day  was  probably  being  carried  out  in  America,  &c. 
While  firing  his  pistol,  Mr.  R.  made  a  narrow  escape.  He  had 
snapped  it  without  its  firing  ;  he  turned  it  up  and  looked  into  its 
muzzle,  and,  bringing  it  down  by  his  side,  said,  "  The  rusty  old  thing 
won't  go  off."  I  exclaimed  against  the  act,  but,  before  all  the  words 
were  spoken,  its  contents  were  discharged  on  the  deck. 

Our  time  is  seven  hours  faster  here  than  in  America  ;  and  seven  p.  M. 
corresponds  to  twelve  in  Boston.  I  did  not  forget  my  arrangement  with 
0.  Mayo,  Esq.,  to  drink  to  each  other's  health  at  noon  on  this  day, 
wherever  we  might  be.  At  seven  p.  M.  I  was  alone,  and,  including  with 
Mr.  M.  my  other  friends  at  home,  fulfilled  my  part  of  the  engage 
ment. 

Wednesday,  July  5th.  —  The  captain  announced  to  us  at  six  this 
morning  that  a  vessel  was  close  by.  We  had  not  seen  on«  for  a  long 
5 


50  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

A 

time,  and  wore  very  glad  to  hasten  up.  Hoisting  her  colors,  she  proved 
to  be  an  English  bark.  She  crossed  before  us,  steering  more  southerly, 
and  by  noon  was  out  of  sight,  being  probably  bound  lor  New  Holland. 

The  weather  was  quite  foggy  yesterday  and  to-day,  so  as  to  make 
the  vessel's  decks  quite  wet.  Those  on  board  who  are  experienced 
with  this  region  off  the  Cape  say  they  never  knew  such  pleasant  and 
moderate  weather. 

Thursday,  July  Qth. —  Another  vessel  was  discovered  this  morning 
by  the  first  officer.  She  was  soon  lost  sight  of,  but  reappeared  during 
the  forenoon,  and  bore  down  upon  us.  We  also  kept  up  a  little 
towards  her. 

She  finally  steered  directly  for  us  ;  but,  being  a  slower  vessel,  fell 
astern,  and  towards  night  was  nearly  again  out  of  sight.  I  was 
desirous  to  speak  her,  whoever  she  might  be  ;  but  this  could  only  be 
done  by  delaying  our  vessel  for  her  to  come  up,  which  Captain  G. 
did  not  consider  himself  justified  in  doing.  At  length  her  colors 
appeared,  and  showed  her  to  be  British.  She  then  run  up  her  numbers 
to  commence  a  conversation.  Our  captain  did  not  answer,  saying 
that  he  had  not  the  requisite  corresponding  numbers  on  board.  From 
his  manner  I  concluded  that  he  had  been  shabbily  treated  on  some 
former  occasion,  and  was  not  anxious  to  communicate  now.  So  we 
were  disappointed  in  not  making  an  acquaintance,  and  leaving,  per- 
haps, an  impression  that  we  were  wanting  in  those  common  courtesies 
which  should  be  displayed  between  all  vessels  upon  the  broad  sea. 

The  weather  is  warm  and  sunny,  like  a  day  in  the  first  week  of 
April.  This  afternoon  we  varied  our  exercises  by  joining  in  those 
more  athletic,  —  climbing  the  shrouds  hand -over-hand,  &c. 


CHAPTER    V. 

RAINBOW. GALE.  —  STORM     SCENERY. SEA     MOTION.  —  ALBATROSS. 

SEA    LIVING. TROPIC    OF    CAPRICORN. PHOSPHORESCENT    LIGHT. 

SATURDAY,  July  8th. —  About  four  o'clock  this  morning,  one  of  our 
crew  —  an  Englishman  —  had  an  altercation  with  the  mate,  which 
resulted  in  his  getting  his  head  severely  cut  in  two  places.  I  dressed  the 
wounds,  after  which  he  was  put  below  in  irons,  where  he  is  to  remain 
for  the  present.  At  noon  we  exchanged  signals  with  a  Dutch  vessel. 


A    RAINBOW.  51 

Sunday,  July  9/A. —  It  has  rained  all  this  forenoon, —  the  only 
unpleasant  Sunday  we  have  had  since  leaving  home. 

To-day  I  have  read  ten  chapters  in  Matthew's  gospel ;  and  an  ancient 
atlas  before  me  added  to  it  a  ten-fold  interest.  I  noted  the  place  where 
Jesus  was  born  —  Bethlehem;  from  thence  I  traced  his  flight  to 
Egypt,  to  escape  the  persecution  of  Herod,  in  compliance  with  the 
warning  given  to  Joseph  in  a  dream,  and  his  return  to  his  own  country, 
after  the  death  of  Herod.  I  marked  his  residence  at  Nazareth,  living 
in  fear  of  Herod's  successor;  the  place  of  his  baptism  by  John,  at 
Bethabara,  beyond  the  Jordan  ;  his  sojourn  in  the  wilderness,  where  he 
was  tempted  of  the  devil ;  his  removal  from  Nazareth  to  Capernaum, 
where  he  heard  that  John  was  in  prison  ;  the  place  of  his  first  meet- 
ing with  his  disciples;  the  scenes  of  his  miracles,  and  of  his  travels 
from  one  part  to  another  in  fulfilment  of  his  holy  mission. 

I  also  read  Swedenborg  on  the  Soul ;  an  interesting  confession  of 
Herod  concerning  the  conviction  of  Christ,  found  written  in  Latin  in 
France,  and  translated  into  English  for  the  Massachusetts  Ploughman 
of  May  5th ;  also  a  letter  of  John  Q.  Adams  to  his  son,  which  was 
very  instructive. 

Monday,  July  10th. —  We  have  a  brisk  breeze  this  forenoon,  and  the 
ocean's  repose  seems  much  disturbed.  The  birds  fly  nearer  and  in 
greater  numbers  than  they  have  done  for  a  week  past,  which  is  gener- 
ally regarded  by  the  sailors  as  the  precursor  of  a  storm.  We  have 
had  singularly  moderate  weather  in  this  latitude,  having  had  no  real 
storm  since  we  neared  the  Cape  ;  and  we  have  seen  no  ice  nor  snow, 
except  some  sleet  one  night.  To-day  we  have  made  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one  miles. 

This  evening  is  very  lovely,  and  almost  as  light  as  day.  The  water 
shines  like  bright  silver.  It  is  too  cold  on  deck  to  do  without  an  over- 
coat, and  we  are  sailing  at  the  good  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour. 

Wednesday,  July  \'2th. —  We  are  nearly  in  the  latitude  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  and  in  the  longitude  of  Persia.  It  is  a  little  rainy 
this  morning,  with  a  fine  rainbow  in  the  west.  Yesterday  there  ap- 
peared the  most  beautiful  one  that  I  ever  beheld.  Every  color  was 
distinct,  gorgeously  rich,  and  dazzlingly  bright ;  and  yet  they  were  so 
softly  blended  that  we  could  not  tell  where  one  commenced  or  another 
was  lost.  Both  ends  of  it  dipping  into  the  sea,  it  encircled  an  arc  of 
the  horizon,  converging  so  as  to  have  met  exactly  at  our  feet,  had  it 
reached  as  far  ;  but  it  was  lost  at  a  few  feet  distant  from  the  vessel. 
I  gazed  upon  it,  wholly  absorbed  with  its  beauty,  and  forgetful  of  the 


52  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

rain  then  falling  on  me,  until  it  disappeared.  Its  counterpart,  formed 
by  the  ends  which  dipped  into  the  ocean,  and  extended  through  the 
water,  was,  I  suppose,  a  reflection  of  the  other ;  it  was  a  circle,  with 
the  exception  of  the  few  feet  broken  out  on  each  side  of  the  vessel. 
The  sky,  clouds,  water,  sun,  ship  and  rainbow,  would  have  made  a 
subject  for  a  handsome  picture.  We  often  see  parts  of  rainbows  in 
this  southern  latitude.  This  is  a  cold  and  disagreeable  day,  and  the 
wind  from  the  south-west.  \Ve  are  all  quite  well  now,  including  Mr. 
D.,  who  lias  been  so  long  partially  ill  of  sea-sickness. 

Friday,  July  14/A. —  I  have  lanced  and  dressed  an  abscess  on  the 
cook's  hand.  For  the  last  few  weeks  many  of  the  men  have  been  afflicted 
with  boils,  or  eruptions  of  that  nature,  caused  by  their  manner  of 
living.  Their  food  consists  too  much  of  fat  meat,  pork,  fat  beef,  &c., 
and  too  little  vegetable  food.  Their  sores  inflame  and  discharge,  and 
are  very  slow  in  healing,  unless  medicine  is  taken,  and  applications  are 
made  to  the  parts  affected.  A  slight  cut  or  bruise  often  becomes  a 
bad-looking  sore,  and  in  some  cases  erysipelas  sets  in.  A  wound  on  the 
foot  renders  them  lame  for  days,  and  they  are  often  laid  up  with  it. 

Saturday,  July  Isth. —  This  forenoon  the  sea  began  again  to  show 
some  agitation  :  the  wind  whistles  ominously.  The  moon  fulls  at  -this 
time,  and  the  barometer  indicates  a  change  of  weather.  The  clouds 
turn  dark,  and  appear  threatening.  On  deck  all  is  life  and  animation. 
The  captain  and  all  hands  are  there.  The  studding-sails,  one  after 
another,  are  taken  in  ;  the  sky-sail  is  lowered  on  deck  ;  the  spanker  is 
clewed  in,  and  the  men  are  up  on  the  main-yard,  scattered  along  like  a 
roost  of  pigeons,  reefing  the  sails,  encouraging  and  animating  each 
other  by  crying  out,  all  together,  "  Heigh-oh-o  !  heigh-oh,  now  !  rouse 
him  in  !  "  &c.  Every  man  has  something  to  do,  and  they  take  hold 
as  if  intending  to  have  it  done.  The  dead-lights  in  the  cabin  are  put 
in,  and  all  the  preparations  made  for  a  coming  storm.  I  watch  the 
gales  and  stormy  parts  of  the  voyage  with  much  interest ;  not  that 
I  do  not  feel  my  own  weakness,  but  because  the  sight  is  a  beautiful 
one.  TVTe  are  now  ten  thousand  miles  from  Boston,  and  more  than 
half  of  our  voyage  is  over. 

It  is  now  evening.  All  the  afternoon  it  has  blown  very  hard.  For 
two  hours  I  stood  in  the  companion-way,  and  looked  out  upon  the 
rolling  sea.  The  wind  increased  till  evening,  and  during  the  blow  it 
rained  with  much  violence.  The  seas  did  not  run  very  high,  but  were 
very  large.  The  captain  put  the  vessel  directly  before  the  wind,  due 
east.  Occasionally  the  water  broke  over  the  deck,  drenching  those 


GALE.  53 

within  its  reach.  Now  and  then  the  old  vessel  would  appear  to  stop, 
with  its  head  against  a  hill  of  water,  like  a  stubborn  horse  with  a 
heavy  load  ;  and  then,  as  if  considering  the  task  to  be  performed,  it 
would  reel  to  and  fro  for  a  moment,  gathering  its  strength,  and  push 
forward  as  if  to  penetrate  through  the  sea.  Rearing  its  head  with  a 
graceful  curve,  it  would  mount  to  the  top,  and  then  make  a  plunge 
down  the  other  side  of  the  billow.  It  was  very  interesting  to  watch 
the  vessel  as  she  manoeuvred  with  the  conflicting  elements. 

Sunday,  July  IQth. —  All  last  night  it  blew  a  gale,  with  a  pouring 
rain,  and  we  were  ploughing  through  darkness  almost  as  thick  as  the 
water  itself.  What  a  peculiar  sensation  it  was  to  stand  on  the  deck 
and  hear  the  turmoil  all  around  us,  and  not  be  able  even  to  see  the 
water  !  I  remained  an  hour  alone,  and  could  see  the  water  only  when 
a  splash  of  the  sea  came  into  my  face.  It  was  with  very  uncertain 
feelings  that  I  retired  to  my  berth,  and  there  listened  to  the  sea  roar- 
ing about  my  head,  and  thought  of  our  liability  to  come  in  contact 
with  other  vessels.  To-day  the  weather  is  much  as  yesterday  ;  the  sea 
is  very  boisterous,  with  violent  rain-squalls,  and  the  vessel  is  leaping 
madly  along  under  almost  bare  poles. 

We  passed  Saint  Paul's  last  night,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  to  the  northward.  So  we  must  give  up  all  hope  of  visiting  that 
interesting  island,  —  so  interesting  to  me  since  my  dream,  before 
dsscribed,  of  a  residence  there. 

We  have  to  dispense  with  soup  at  dinner,  and  have  hard  work  to 
keep  our  seats.  Our  dishes  start,  and  away  they  go,  and  we  have  to 
catch  at  them  on  all  sides.  Our  knives,  forks  and  portions  of  our 
food,  slide  off  the  table,  and  fall  sometimes  into  our  laps,  sometimes 
upon  the  floor.  The  steward  brings  a  tumbler  of  water,  and  carries 
the  tumbler  back  again ;  then  we  have  to  catch  upon  the  table  and 
hold  on,  to  prevent  being  thrown  over  it,  until  we  are  turned  back 
again  by  the  righting  of  the  vessel.  If  the  table  was  not  fastened 
down,  and  our  seats  also,  we  should  be  sliding  and  jerked  from  one  side 
of  the  cabin  to  the  other.  These  things,  however,  cause  some  amuse- 
ment, and  we  laugh  and  joke  upon  the  accidents  that  happen  to  each 
other.  A  large  bucket  of  peas  came  tumbling  out  of  the  locker,  and 
were  scattered  upon  the  cabin  floor.  The  steward  gathered  them  up, 
put  them  back,  and  secured  them  ;  but  soon  they  came  out  again. 
Again  he  placed  them  back,  tightened  the  lid,  and  tied  the  bucket 
with  a  cord.  In  half  an  hour  the  vessel  gave  a  tremendous  bound, 
out  again  came  the  bucket,  breaking  the  cord,  and  scattering  the 


54  CHINA    AND    MAXILLA. 

peas  all  about.  When  the  steward  came  in  and  saw  the  state  of 
things,  he  was  in  no  good  temper;  and,  as  he  collected  them,  it  was 
most  ludicrous,  from  my  room,  to  listen  to  him.  He  commenced  : 

"You  damn,  miserable,  abominable  peas!  how  many  times  you 
s'pose  I  must  go  after  you?  You  s'pose  I  got  nothing  else  to  do?  You 
believe  this  black  Stewart  damn  fool  ?  Bime-by  you  find  mistaken  ! ' ' 
&c.  &c. 

He  took  them  into  the  locker  again,  scolding  at  them  as  if  they 
understood  every  word  said,  and  set  them  down  with  considerable 
force,  at  the  same  time  saying, 

"  Stay  there,  sinner  !  " 

It  is  cold  and  dismal,  and  seems  like  any  day  but  Sunday.  It  is  the 
first  of  such  Sundays  that  we  have  had  since  we  embarked. 

Monday,  July  \~th. —  It  is  almost  a  calm  to-day ;  the  sun  is  clear,  and 
it  is  quite  warm.  Many  sea-birds  are  around  again,  and  with  hook 
and  line  I  have  tried  without  success  to  catch  an  albatross.  They 
would  fly  down  and  peck  at  the  bait,  but  I  caught  none.  I  fired  my 
pistol  at  them  three  times,  and  the  captain  twice  ;  but  their  feathers 
are  so  thick  and  close  that  the  bullets  did  not  penetrate,  even  if  we  hit 
them.  We  could  only  ruffle  their  feathers  a  little,  although  they  flew 
within  five  or  six  yards  of  us.  In  about  twelve  days  we  expect  to  be 
at  Java. 

Tuesday,  July  18th. —  We  are  now  steering  northward  towards  the 
Straits  of  Sunda.  I  am  becoming  quite  impatient,  though  I  believe 
we  all  try  not  to  be,  knowing  that  it  will  accomplish  nothing  ;  yet  I 
seem  to  be  exerting  myself  continually  to  push  the  vessel  along,  as  if 
my  desire  had  changed  into  an  active  force  within  me,  that  I  could  not 
restrain.  I  do  long  to  place  my  feet  once  more  on  a  solid  foundation, 
—  where,  I  do  not  care,  if  it  is  only  land.  As  I  look  over  the  stern, 
and  see  the  water  rushing  from  us,  I  am  sometimes  impelled  by  an 
almost  irresistible  feeling  to  jump  overboard,  as  if  my  limbs  would 
leap  with  me  in  spite  of  myself,  though  I  feel  little  fear  about  it.  It 
appears  to  arise  from  the  same  kind  of  fatigue  and  restlessness  that  is 
experienced  by  reclining  in  one  position  for  a  long  time,  or  by  sitting 
in  a  constrained  attitude,  as  in  a  coach  or  crowded  assembly,  for  a 
number  of  hours. 

The  wind  blows  briskly  this  evening.  We  were  just  startled  by  a 
loud  report,  followed  by  several  lesser  ones.  Thinking  that  the  ship 
bad  struck,  or  that  something  direful  had  happened,  we  rushed  on 
deck,  and  found  that  the  flying-jib-boom  had  been  carried  away,  and 


PRESERVED    PROVISIONS   AT    SEA.  55 

that  the  sail  was  flapping  in  the  wind,  making  noise  enough  for  so 
many  volleys  of  musketry.  The  ship  was  brought  into  the  wind,  and 
the  sail  secured  and  taken  in. 

Saturday,  July  2'2d.  —  Being  out  of  potatoes,  we  have  boiled  rice  aa 
a  substitute.  There  is  plenty  of  poultry,  fresh  pork,  and  salt  beef; 
but  the  beef,  for  the  lack  of  soaking  or  boiling  in  fresh  water,  is 
extremely  salt ;  yet  we  have  enough  of  other  food  without  it.  We 
feol  most  the  need  of  vegetables. 

We  passed  the  Danish  rock  last  night  without  seeing  it ;  and  very 
few  persons,  we  are  told,  have  ever  seen  it,  except  those  lost  upon  it. 

Sunday,  July  23J.  —  Mr.  R.  brought  out  from  his  stores  for  break- 
fast a  little  can  of  preserved  sausages.  These  preserved  meats  are  very 
nice  for  an  occasional  taste.  The  sealed-up  tin  box  is  put  into  hot 
water  for  a  few  minutes,  and  is  then  ready  to  be  opened  and  placed 
upon  the  table.  Passengers  who  take  with  them  a  small  variety  of 
these  meats  find  them  very  convenient  and  acceptable.  Mr.  D.  lias 
furnished  us,  for  two  or  three  weeks,  with  milk  preserved  in  cans  ; 
and  in  our  cofl'ee  and  chocolate  we  find  it  to  answer  a  very  good  pur- 
pose, though  it  is  not  equal  to  fresh  milk.  Vegetables,  so  necessary  for 
health  as  to  be  almost  indispensable,  might  be  preserved  in  cans  in  the 
same  manner,  and  added  to  the  ship's  stores  at  a  small  expense.  Used 
once  or  twice  a  week,  they  would  be  very  serviceable  to  the  health  of 
the  crew. 

I  am  now,  five  o'clock  p.  M.,  in  my  room,  and  have  been  there  nearly 
all  day.  It  is  so  quiet  that  I  am  hardly  conscious  of  the  presence  of 
any  other  living  person  on  board.  I  have  been  lying  in  my  berth  and 
reading  the  Testament,  with  the  maps  for  reference  ;  and  also  some 
articles  in  the  Christian  Register.  We  have  had  some  showers  to-day, 
though  the  early  morn  indicated  a  pleasant  Sabbath.  There  is  now 
hardly  any  perceptible  motion  to  the  vessel,  which  is  very  rare  when 
it  is  considered  that  she  is  sailing  about  eight  miles  an  hour.  The 
captain  has  taken  no  observation  to-day,  but  knows  pretty  nearly  our 
latitude  and  longitude.  All  are  talking  now  of  Angier,  at  Java  head  ; 
of  what  we  shall  do  when  we  get  on  shore  ;  how  happy  we  shall  be  ; 
and  what  delight  it  will  give  us  to  see  land,  to  touch  it,  or  to  place 
our  feet  upon  it.  In  one  week  we  hope  that  our  dream  will  be  real- 
ized. We  have  been  so  long  shut  out  from  society,  we  can  hardly 
realize  that,  besides  the  few  birds  that  flit  about  us,  we  are  not  the  only 
living  beings  in  the  world.  The  captain  sometimes  cools  our  ardor 
by  an  occasional  remark,  that  "Perhaps  we  shall  pass  Angier  in  a 


56  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Btorm  and  cannot  anchor  ;  "  or,  "  We  may  pass  it  in  the  night, '?  &c. 
But  we  are  quite  sure  that  lie  will  stop  for  his  own  sake,  as  he  often 
speaks  of  the  fresh  provisions  and  fruits  which  we  shall  take  in  there. 

Monday,  July  2-ith.  — Yesterday  we  crossed  to  the  northward  of  the 
Tropic  of  Capricorn.  Old  Ocean  has  been  tempestuous  during  the  day 
and  evening.  We  were  tossed  and  rocked  about,  without  regard  to  our 
sensibilities,  or  respect  to  our  persons.  But  the  time  has  passed  for 
sea-sickness,  and  we  look  upon  the  raging  billows  without  fear. 

Tuesday,  July  25th.  —  Time  speeds  along  rapidly.  It  seems  hardly 
possible  that  we  have  been  more  than  two  months  on  the  water  ;  but 
the  future  looks  long.  Since  we  lost  sight  of  Cape  Cod,  sailing 
so  many  thousand  miles,  we  have  not  had  a  glimpse  of  land.  The 
chart  says  we  are  off  the  coast  of  New  Holland,  and  according  to  the 
compass  we  are  sailing  direct  for  Christmas  Island  ;  but,  like  the  good 
place,  we  seem  to  feel  doubtful  of  ever  reaching  there. 

Each  Saturday  night  I  close  up  the  week  by  drawing  on  my  map 
our  exact  course  for  the  previous  seven  days-;  and  the  pleasure  this 
affords  well  repays  the  labor  of  it.  The  weather  has  now  very  per- 
ceptibly changed,  and  we  have  again  left  the  cold  region  for  a  warmer 
one.  We  are  now  within  twenty  degrees,  or  twelve  hundred  miles,  of 
the  equator.  The  thermometer  is  upwards  of  70°.  How  mild  and 
soft  is  the  air  of  this  region  ! 

Wednesday,  July  2Qth. —  Last  eve,  at  ten,  I  sat  alone  on  the  deck 
looking  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  watching  the  fiery  appearance 
of  the  water.  The  darker  the  night,  the  more  vivid  is  its  light. 
There  was  no  moon,  and  it  was  cloudy,  and  therefore  the  waters  were 
very  bright  and  luminous.  The  ship  was  rushing  through  at  about 
ten  knots  an  hour,  and  the  wake  of  the  vessel  was  beautifully  illumi- 
nated, as  was  also  the  water  about  the  sides  and  bows  of  the  vessel,  or 
wherever  it  was  disturbed.  The  little  eddies  formed  by  the  ship's  rud- 
der were  very  interesting.  They  appeared  as  if  a  circle  of  fire,  like  the 
sun,  was  suddenly  formed  in  them,  and  then  made  to  revolve  rapidly, 
gradually  becoming  dimmer,  as  they  sunk  into  the  depths  beneath  and 
disappeared.  Four  or  five  of  these  might  often  at  the  same  time  be 
seen,  stretching  back  into  the  wake,  and  giving  a  very  ornamental 
appearance  to  the  scene.  There  were  also  interspersed  multitudes  of 
globules,  as  if  of  glowing  fire,  of  all  sizes,  from  an  apple  to  a  mere 
point.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  look  at,  as  we  flew  along  through 
the  darkness,  leaving  this  fiery  phosphorescent  train  rolling  up  behind 
us  in  the  broad  path  of  the  ship. 


ANGIER.  57 


CHAPTER   VI. 

DESCRIPTION   OF   FLYING-FISH. LOOK   OUT    FOR    LAND. THE   BOOBY.— 

LAND    BIRDS. LAND  IN  SIGHT. WATER-SPOUT. STRAITS  OF  SUNDA. 

—  JAVA. 

THE  weather  is  warm,  and  the  breezes  remind  me  of  those  which 
"  blow  soft  o'er  Ceylon's  isle."  The  air  floats  against  our  faces  with 
gentle  undulations  of  bewitching  delicateness,  as  if  we  were  being 
affectionately  and  tenderly  caressed  by  some  unseen  power.  I  wish 
that  our  friends  at  home  could  enjoy  it. 

Everything  on  board  is  harmonious.  The  "  transom  "  is  a  place  of 
refuge  at  all  hours  of  the  night  and  day.  I  do  not  know  what  we 
should  do  without  it,  as  its  accommodations  are  sufficient  for  the  cap- 
tain and  three  passengers  to  take  almost  any  position  they  choose. 
It  seems  to  be  the  only  convenient  and  comfortable  place  on  which  to 
bit  or  lie  while  reading  or  sleeping.  .  Hardly  an  hour  of  the  day  passes 
but  we  are  on  it,  either  separately  or  all  together.  It  is  a  wide,  sofa- 
like  place  in  the  cabin,  stretching  across  the  stern  from  side  to  side, 
nearly  as  high  as  a  table,  and  covered  with  cushions  ;  and  inside  is  a 
locker  for  packages  and  bundles. 

Thursday,  July  27th,  latitude  11°  59'  south,  longitude  105°  4' 
east.  —  Last  eve  I  sat  up  with  the  captain,  talking  about  the  natives 
at  Angier.  The  island  of  Java  belongs  to  the  Dutch,  and  Angier  is 
the  general  watering-place  for  vessels  bound  to  China,  Manilla',  &c. 
The  captain  informs  me  that  the  natives  are  treacherous,  but  that  no 
particular  danger  is  to  be  feared  from  them. 

We  expect,  if  the  weather  holds  good,  to  see  Christmas  Island 
towards  night.  Mr.  R.  and  I  think  of  going  ashore,  should  it  be 
calm  when  we  reach  there.  It  is  an  island  of  some  three  or  four  miles 
across,  and  covered  with  trees,  bushes,  and  rocks.  Only  two  or  three 
persons  have  ever  landed  there.  The  captain  offers  to  send  some  men 
with  us  in  the  boat,  but  will  not  go  himself.  He  declares  there  is 
nothing  there  but  venomous  snakes,  porcupines,  poisonous  insects,  and 
a  host  of  wild  animals  ;  and  he  says,  "  I  will  not  step  my  foot  among 
the  bushes."  However,  with  pistols,  sword-canes,  dirks,  &c.,  I  think 
that  we  may  venture  to  see  what  they  keep  there. 

For  the  last  few  days,  the  birds  have  mostly  deserted  us.     This 


08  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

forenoon  three  or  four  gannets  camo  around,  so  that  we  must  be  near 
the  land  ;  for  these  birds  never  go  out  to  sea,  nor  off  soundings.  As 
we  make  our  way  to  the  north,  we  keep  nearly  parallel  with  the  coast 
of  Java  ;  we  are  now  probably  about  fifty  miles  from  it.  The  gannets 
look  much  like  albatrosses,  having  white  bodies,  and  a  part  only  of 
their  wings  are  white. 

None  of  us  have  as  yet  been  able  to  go  more  than  a  very  little  aloft, 
on  account  of  predisposition  to  dizziness.  This  we  were  determined  to 
conquer  ;  and,  on  the  score  of  exercise,  we  have  been  practising  a 
little  every  day  in  climbing  the  rattlings.  To-day,  for  the  first  time, 
we  succeeded  in  placing  our  feet  upon  the  mizzen-top,  and  without 
crawling  through  the  lubber's  hole.  The  motion,  which  on  deck  is 
perhaps  not  more  than  an  inch  or  two,  is  some  feet  up  there  ;  and 
to  get  around  and  underneath  the  platform  upon  the  outside  we  found 
too  troublesome  at  this  time,  and  so  let  ourselves  down  by  sliding 
on  the  shrouds. 

A  tropical  land-bird  showed  itself  to-day,  the  first  sign  we  have  had 
of  the  land.  It  was  a  queer-looking  bird,  of  a  light  yellow  color,  in 
size  between  a  duck  and  a  goose.  Its  tail  appeared  to  be  a  single 
feather  floating  behind,  about  twice  its  own  length.  Its  movements,  as 
it  flew  in  large  circles  over  the  vessel,  were  like  a  boy's  kite,  darting  up 
and  down  and  in  various  ways.  Its  flight  is  higher  than  that  of  any 
other  bird  I  have  ever  seen.  We  watched  its  evolutions  with  much 
interest.  Once,  poising  itself  high  in  the  air  for  a  moment,  it  closed 
its  wings  and  descended  Ittte  a  shot.  A  splash  in  the  water  followed, 
a  shoal  of  hundreds  of  flying-fish  arose,  the  bird  appeared  with  one  of 
them'in  its  claws,  and  then  directed  its  course  towards  the  land.  The 
shoal  of  flying-fish  seemed  in  a  bad  fix  ;  for  the  moment  they  returned 
to  their  natural  element,  they  were  attacked  by  a  shoal  of  larger  ones 
lying  in  wait  for  them. 

The  pictures  I  have  seen  of  flying-fish  represent  them  as  very  large  ; 
but  we  have  seen  none  that  would  weigh  more  than  a  pound.  They 
fly  very  stiffly,  as  if  their  bodies  were  lumps  of  lead  weighing  them 
down  :  in  fact,  they  have  to  fall  to  the  water  as  soon  as  their  wings 
become  dry.  Their  flight  is  broken  by  slight  risings  and  fallings, 
something  after  the  manner  of  our  little  chip-birds  at  home.  They 
cannot,  apparently,  rise  from  the  sea  without  they  start  from  a  wave, 
which  they  generally  do  by  darting  from  its  side.  I  have  never  seen 
one  leave  the  water  when  the  sea  was  calm.  Their  wings  or  fins  are 


ANXIETY   TOR    LAND.  59 

thin,  and  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  a  bat,  answering  the  double 
purpose  of  swimming  and  flying. 

The  weather  is  pretty  warm,  and  thermometer  at  8CP.  We  have  had 
another  very  beautiful  sunset,  variegated  clouds,  in  colors  rich,  deep 
and  gorgeous,  with  the  glistening  hues  of  tinsel,  reminding  one  of  the 
fairy  scenes  represented  at  the  theatre.  This  evening  I  saw  four  star- 
like  bodies  fall  through  the  air,  as  if  they  had  dropped  from  their 
places  in  the  sparkling  canopy  above.  They  looked  prettily,  descend- 
ing so  softly,  in  gentle  curves,  one  soon  after  the  other.  They  reminded 
me  of  the  larger  globules  falling  from  an  exploded  rocket. 

My  heart  is  so  full  of  yearnings  for  a  sight  of  land,  that,  although 
past  midnight,  I  feel  that  I  could  not  sleep  should  I  go  to  bed  ; 
and  we  expect  to  see  Christmas  Island  in  the  morning.  The  watch 
only  are  at  their  places  on  deck,  and  I  wander  alone  from  one  place  to 
another  in  disquietude,  endeavoring  to  analyze  my  feelings. 

Friday,  July  28th.  —  We  were  up  this  morning  between  four  and 
five,  and,  with  the  captain,  anxiously  looking  for  land.  We  pierced 
the  horizon,  with  our  eyes,  from  each  bow,  and  ahead,  but  could 
detect  nothing.  Several  of  the  men  were  on  the  forecastle,  forward, 
also  endeavoring  to,  discover  it.  Daylight  appeared,  but  not  the 
object  of  our  search.  Now  and  then  wo  saw  something  that  we 
thought  might  be  land,  but,  much  to  our  disappointment,  it  would 
soon  turn  to  a  dark  cloud.  The  sun  arose,  and  yet  no  land.  The 
captain  ascended  to  the  fore-top-mast  yards  to  look,  and  I,  from 
sympathy,  clambered  up  to  the  mizzcn-top,  —  that  was  high  enough 
for  me,  —  but  nothing  could  be  discovered.  Mr.  R.  preferred  remain- 
ing on  deck  to  going  aloft ;  and  he  discovered,  on  our  larboard  bow, 
a  vessel,  which  afforded  a  little  consolation.  AVe  went  down  to  break- 
fast, and  returned  on  deck,  not  doubting  that  we  should  then  see  land  ; 
but  we  were  not  yet  to  be  gratified. 

The  weather  is  very  warm,  eighty- two  degrees  in  the  cabin. 

The  captain  is  at  his  figures  ;  he  has  just  been  taking  an  observa- 
tion, but  cannot  get  an  accurate  one  till  twelve  o'clock.  He  makes 
out,  by  dead  reckoning,  that  we  are  in  latitude  10°  3'  south,  longitude 
105°  east ;  and  has  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  we  have  passed 
Christmas  Island.  We  are,  however,  still  looking  for  it. 

It  is  now  one  o'clock.  Our  doubts  and  desires  are  all  settled  ;  we 
now  have  the  true  reckoning,  and  find  that  we  have  drifted  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  westward,  by  the  treacherous  westerly  current.  Had  it 
not  been  for  that,  we  should  not  have  been  doomed  to  a  disappoint- 


60  CHINA    AND.   MANILLA. 

mcnt.  We  must  give  up  Christmas  Island  ;  and  no\v,  then,  for  Java 
next,  though  a  sight  of  that  seems  dubious ;  for,  of  all  the  land  wo 
have  passed,  we  have  not  yet  seen  any.  Java  is  now  only  one  hundred 
and  seventy-six  miles  distant.  We  will  try  to  keep  quiet  till  to-mor- 
row. Still  we  are  all  disappointed  for  to-day,  in  spite  of  all  our 
philosophy. 

Several  hundred  large  gannets  are  around,  flying  over  and  about  the 
vessel,  this  afternoon  ;  and  also  one  new-comer,  —  a  bird  of  a  reddish- 
brown  color.  The  vessel  on  our  left  has  shown  herself  to  be  an  English 
ship. 

This  afternoon,  a  booby  seated  himself  on  the  end  of  a  yard,  and 
there  remained,  while  I  fired  three  pistol-shots  at  him,  and  the  captain 
one.  I  hit  the  yard,  but  neither  of  us  hit  the  booby.  I  presume,  if 
he  could  speak,  he  would  call  us  boobies  for  not  hitting  him.  Its" 
mate  flew  about  the  vessel,  and  I  could  nearly  strike  him  with  the 
pistol.  He  alighted  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  boats,  when  I  ran  up  and 
caught  him,  —  taking  good  care  to  seize  him  by  the  neck,  for  they 
bite  severely.  They  are  about  as  large  as  an  owl,  but  their  heads  are 
less  broad.  They  have  a  long,  sharp,  hooked  bill ;  are  long-legged, 
and  web- footed.  I  examined  him  as  long  as  I  wished,  frightened  the 
pigs  with  him  a  little,  and  then  placed  him  on  the  railing  of  the  ship, 
where  he  contrived  to  sit  very  independently  till  he  was  pushed  off. 

It  breezed  up  considerably  in  the  evening,  and  we  sailed  at  the  rate 
of  ten  knots  an  hour.  The  captain  says,  "  I  will  insure  the  sight  of 
Java  head  early  in  the  morning."  I  laid  myself  down  upon  the  ship's 
railing,  and  watched  the  heavens  from  ten  till  eleven  o'clock.  The 
second  mate  told  me  he  thought  my  position  rather  unsafe  ;  but  there 
were  so  many  ropes  about  me  that  I  did  not  regard  it  so,  and  had  a 
very  comfortable  time  astronomizing  all  to  myself.  At  dark,  our 
neighbor  vessel  was  far  ahead  of  us,  —  the  only  one  that  has  outsailed 
us  yet.  Well,  we  shall,  no  doubt,  be  on  terra-firma  next  Sunday. 
How  I  anticipate  that  pleasure  !  Eighty  days,  and  not  yet  a  sight  of 
land.  As  for  Christmas  Island,  we  must  say,  like  the  fox  in  the  fable, 
"  Sour  grapes."  The  old  rocky  shore  !  —  we  do  not  want  to  see  it. 

Saturday,  July  29th.  —  This  morning  I  arose  at  half-past  five,  so  as 
to  mark  the  land,  as  it  came  in  sight.  We  had  a  heavy  shower,  or  I 
should  have  arisan  earlier.  The  captain  called  us,  but  I  could  not 
induce  Mr.  R.  or  D.  to  turn  out :  they  seemed  satisfied  with  the  land 
of  yesterday  morning.  I  was  quickly  on  deck,  and  there,  sure  enough, 
lay  the  land,  far  off  in  the  distance,  nearly  enveloped  in  clouds,  and 


OFF    THE    COAST    OF    JAVA.  61 

looking  like  a  blue  mountain  at  a  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles. 
We  know  that  it  is  land  ;  for  it  does  not  change  or  alter  its  figure, 
like  clouds.  Still,  I  cannot  feel  quite  sure  that  we  shall  come  to  it, 
but  may  lose  it  in  some  way. 

During  a  thunder-shower  to-day  we  saw  a  water-spout,  though  it 
was  not  complete.  It  commenced  in  a  large  black  cloud,  and,  after  a 
little  narrowing  beneath,  extending  towards  the  ocean,  hung  down  in 
the  form  of  a  large  black  cable,  but  did  not  reach  far  enough  to  com- 
municate with  the  water  of  the  straits. 

The  motion  of  the  water  indicates  that  we  are  in  some  current  like 
that  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  It  appears  as  if  bewitched.  The  waves  rush 
and  boil  in  every  direction,  and  splash  this  way  and  that. 

The  captain  made  calculation  for  the  current  last  night,  steering 
one  or  two  points  more  to  the  eastward  than  he  otherwise  would  have 
done,  and  thereby  made  the  right  place  this  morning.  He  had  been 
carried  a  long  distance  to  the  westward,  and  yet  hit  right  at  Java 
head.  It  has  been  very  agreeable  to  us,  the  last  few  days,  to  see  the 
men  scraping  and  brightening  the  oars,  laying  out  the  anchor-chains, 
scouring  the  boarding-pikes,  and  getting  everything  ready  to  come  to 
anchor,  and  to  go  ashore. 

It  is  now  noon,  and  we  have  passed  through  Prince's  Straits,  with 
Prince's  Island  on  our  left,  and  Java  on  our  right.  We  are  in  the 
"Straits  of  Sunda,"  of  which  Prince's  Straits  are  merely  a  branch. 
The  bold  shores  of  Java  lie  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  distant. 
We  are  continually  on  our  feet,  moving  back  and  forth  with  animated 
steps.  The  spy-glasses  are  so  changing  from  one  to  another,  that  the 
captain  has  hardly  a  sight  with  them.  There  are  many  things  to  be 
examined,  —  that  point  of  land,  a  cliff,  the  curve  of  beach,  the  thick 
wild  foliage  along  the  water,  the  mountain,  the  forests,  &c.  Our 
enthusiasm  is  such  that  every  little  thing  must  be  scrutinized  :  every 
dense  thicket  and  dark  hole,  looking  for  a  tiger  or  rhinoceros  ;  every 
large  tree  or  group  ot  trees,  peering  among  their  branches  for  the 
boa-constrictor  lying  in  wait  for  some  animal  to  pass  underneath  ; 
the  air  and  foliage  for  beautiful  birds,  —  but  we  saw  none  of  them.  Yet 
the  delicious  breezes,  filled  with  spicy  odors  from  the  shore,  we  did 
realize  in  their  fulness.  The  air  was  laden  with  the  fresh  fragrance 
of  the  orange  and  lemon,  of  the  cinnamon,  cloves  and  nutmegs,  of  the 
musky  cocoa-nut  and  other  palms.  And  they  were  more  strongly  per- 
ceptible on  account  of  the  long  time  we  had  been  'accustomed  only  to 
the  Bait  air.  It  recalled  forcibly  my  days  of  from  eight  to  twelve 
6 


62  CHINA    AND    MAXILLA. 

years  old,  when,  at  the  Sabbath-school  and  singing  "  What  though 
the  spicy  breezes,"  I  was  wishing  that  I  could  experience  them.  It 
seemed  now  that  my  mind,  like  an  Eolian  harp,  was  made  to  vibrate 
this  tune,  with  the  slight  alteration  of  the  word  Java  for  Ceylon,  and 
that  "  What  though  the  spicy  breezes  blow  soft  o'er  Java's  isle  "  was 
constantly  being  repeated. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

INHABITANTS  OF  JAVA.  DRESS. NATIVES  BARTERING  COMMODITIES. 

CUSHMAN. APPEARANCE  OF  ANGIER. LANDING. RECEPTION  BY  THE 

GOVERNOR.  —  CUSHMAN'S  HOUSE  AND  FAMILY. — MOHAMMEDAN  MOSQUE. 
LEAVE  ANGIER. 

ON  the  shore  all  things  appear  wild  and  uncultivated,  with  no 
dwellings  in  sight,  as  if  wild  animals  and  cannibal  men  were  alone 
the  inhabitants.  Where  the  land  makes  out  into  points,  we  can  see 
very  distinctly  the  jagged  rocks,  the  gnarled  limbs,  and  broken  trunks 
of  trees,  and  the  white  foam  dashing  upon  the  craggy  shore.  In  the 
bay  formed  by  the  first  point,  —  for  there  are  four  of  these  points  of 
land  within  sight,  —  in  running  along  the  shore  with  the  glass,  I  dis- 
covered two  vessels.  Calling  to  the  captain,  he  came  and  ran  up  the 
colors,  or,  more  properly,  the  ensign.  In  a  few  moments  the  two 
vessels  showed  the  stars  and  stripes,  which  were  to  us  all  a  very  cheer- 
ing sight.  I  never  before  experienced  such  pleasure  in  seeing  the 
American  flag. 

At  noon  we  had  heavy  thunder,  and  the  numerous  squalls  appeared 
very  threatening.  At  four  p.  M.  the  wind  died  away,  leaving  us 
nearly  becalmed ;  and,  the  strong  current  setting  us  back,  we  were 
obliged  to  come  to  anchor  in  the  straits.  This  was  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  and  we  were  twelve  miles  from  Angier,  the  place  we 
wished  to  reach  to-day. 

During  the  day  we  passed  our  Englishman,  and  saw  several  of  the 
native  prows  gliding  along  near  the  shore.  Their  sails,  in  the  dis- 
tance, looked  like  wings  of  butterflies.  We  did  not  want  for  excite- 
ment this  day,  though  disappointed  that  we  could  not  reach  Angier. 


MALAYS.  63 

We  have  had  a  very  hot  sun,  but  a  cool  and  delightful  aromatic  breeze 
from  the  land. 

Straits  of  Suncfa,  Sunday,  July  30th.  —  I  arose  this  morning  at  half- 
past  three,  being  awakened  by  the  noise  made  in  getting  up  the  anchor, 
and  having  hardly  slept  at  all.  It  was  very  hot,  and  we  were,  under 
way  about  iive. 

Before  breakfast,  being  seated  in  my  room  arranging  letters  for  homo 
to  leave  with  the  governor  at  Angier,  to  be  sent  by  the  next  vessel, 
I  heard  a  wild  cackling  beneath  my  Avindow.  I  did  not  think  it  could 
be  human  sounds,  but  thought  it  must  be  from  a  flock  of  large  birds. 
Hastening  on  deck  and  looking  over  the  side,  I  saw  a  prow  with 
several  Malays  in  it.  At  first,  because  of  their  wild  appearance  and 
piercing  eyes,  I  drew  back,  and  tried  to  look  at  them  from  some  place 
unobserved  ;  but  their  eyes,  searching  around,  quickly  found  me,  and 
met  my  own.  Wherever  I  could  go  their  eyes  were  sure  to  follow. 
They  were  nearly  naked,  and  their  hair,  black,  coarse  and  long, 
was  secured  on  the  back  of  the  head  with  a  large  handkerchief, 
bound  around  like  a  turban.  The  color  of  their  skin  wras  like  that  of  a 
book  bound  in  calf.  Their  countenances  had  such  penetrating,  fear- 
less, and  distorted  expressions,  that  for  some  time  I  could  only  glance 
at  them. 

During  the  forenoon  we  passed  two  ships  just  out  of  Angier.  They 
both  hove  to,  though  we  kept  on,  and  a  boat  from  one  of  them  came 
off  towards  us.  When  near  us,  the  man  in  its  stern  cried  out, 

"  AVhat  vessel  is  this?" 

Captain  G.  answered,  "  The  Thomas  W.  Sears." 

"  Where  bound?" 

"  Canton." 

"  Where  from?" 

"Boston." 

"  Have  you  got  any  papers  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  come  aboard,  and  I  will  give  you  some." 

Its  crew,  about  fifteen  hardy  sailors,  fell  upon  their  oars,  and  with 
such  strength  and  determination  that  I  thought  they  would  run  their 
boat  into  the  vessel.  Just  before  it  struck,  a  turn  of  the  steering-oar 
brought  its  head  around,  and  the  boat  came  alongside  so  gently  as  not 
even  to  touch.  A  rope  was  thrown,  which  the  man  caught,  and  in 
a  moment  he  sprang  up  the  side  and  stepped  on  the  deck.  I  had 
marked  him  at  first  as  an  American,  from  his  off-hand  manners  ;  and 
my  impression  was  confirmed,  as  he  introduced  himself  as  Captain 


64  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

Little,  from  New  Bedford.  He  remained  about  ten  minutes,  and  said 
he  had  only  stopped  in  the  straits  for  wood,  water,  and  fresh  provi- 
sions ;  that  he  had  been  out  nearly  two  years  whaling,  and  had  taken 
twenty-two  hundred  barrels  of  oil.  The  other  vessel  was  also  a 
whaler  (Captain  Weeks),  had  been  out  ten  months,  and  had  nine 
hundred  barrels  of  oil ;  each  averaging  nearly  a  hundred  barrels  a 
month.  Captain  L.  took  our  letters,  promising  to  forward  them  on 
arriving  at  New  Bedford. 

About  three  this  afternoon,  having  been  the  whole  day  beating  up 
a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  the  wind  having  died  away,  and  finding  the 
current  setting  us  back,  we  came  to  anchor  in  the  straits.  During 
the  forenoon  the  natives  were  continually  coming  and  going,  with 
their  Malay  prows  laden  with  various  commodities  for  sale ;  some  with 
one  thing,  some  with  another,  and  now  and  then  one  with  a  general 
assortment ;  among  which  I  noticed  fruits,  vegetables,  tamarinds,  cocoa- 
nuts,  fowls,  squirrels,  birds,  and  monkeys. 

Some  of  the  natives  had  on  the  cast-off  garments  of  Europeans.  All 
wear  a  piece  of  cloth  around  their  middle,  while  some  have  in  addition 
an  old  coat,  a  vest  only,  a  ragged  shirt,  or  a  beaver  hat  with  the 
crown  out.  The  captain  says  he  once  saw  one  with  a  long-tailed  coat 
on,  with  the  back  in  front.  They  appear  proud  of  these  garments,  and 
have  little  idea  how  they  should  be  worn,  how  they  fit,  or  why  they 
are  worn  at  all.  They  put  in  their  arms  or  their  feet,  as  they  can 
manage  best.  If  the  garment  does  not  go  well  in  one  way,  they  try 
it  in  another.  If,  on  laying  down  an  old  vest  and  stepping  into  the 
arm-holes,  they  cannot  pull  it  on,  they  pull  it  off  and  put  their  arms 
through.  One  is  trying  to  put  on  a  pair  of  pants  the  wrong  side 
before.  One  of  them,  having  worn  a  pair  of  black  thick  pants  for 
about  ten  minutes,  panting  with  heat  and  perspiration,  dragged  them 
off,  and,  holding  them  in  his  hands,  rested  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
put  them  on  again.  They  cut  very  ludicrous  figures  in  their  single 
garments,  especially  when  endeavoring  to  keep  them  on  for  a  length 
of  time.  The  equatorial  sun,  pouring  down,  forces  them  first  to  draw 
one  arm  out  of  a  thick  coat  or  jacket,  and  then  they  put  it  on  and 
change,  with  the  other  arm  out. 

Two  large  prows,  filled  with  natives,  considerably  more  dressed, 
made  their  appearance  after  dinner.  The  two  Malay  proprietors  sat 
iu  the  stern  of  their  boats,  with  all  the  graciousness  of  lords,  while 
the  rowers  pulled  away  like  slaves.  The  crews  of  both  were  allowed 
to  come  on  board,  and,  each  one  having  something  to  sell,  there  was 


BARTE3ISG    WITH    MALAYS.  65 

much  jabbering.  Any  others  attempting  to  come  up  were  threatened 
with  a  rope,  and  they  remained  in  their  boats. 

The  two  proprietors  were  dressed  in  our  style,  and  spoke  words  in 
English.  One  was  from  the  governor,  and  came  for  the  mail-bag,  to 
get  any  letters  or  papers  there  might  be  for  Java,  and  to  contract  for 
provisions.  The  other  wished  to  engage  with  the  captain  to  supply 
the  vessel  with  provisions  ;  and  remained  on  board,  desiring  us  to  look 
at  his  book  of  recommendations  from  other  vessels  which  had  employed 
him. 

All  the  natives  are  anxious  to  barter  their  commodities  for  old 
clothing,  knives,  tobacco,  &c.  It  was  some  time  before  I  could  com- 
municate with  them  at  all.  They  had  no  curiosities,  but  a  fetv  com- 
mon sea-shells,  for  sale,  and  I  bought  them  for  the  pleasure  of  trading 
with  them. 

Standing  in  their  little  canoes  and  looking  up,  they  hold  to  view 
the  article  they  have  for  disposal,  and,  fixing  their  eyes  on  you,  they 
set  their  tongues  into  rapid  action,  and  seem  to  warble  like  birds. 
Their  voices  are  wild,  musical  and  vibratory,  like  those  of  children 
with  colds.  One  of  them  held  up  a  cocoa-nut  toward  me.  and  then 
repeated,  rapidly, 

"  Cokker-nete?    Cokker-nete?     Cokker-ne'te?  " 

I  asked,  "  How  much  for  cokker-nete?  " 

"  Fiftee  cokker-nete  owan  dollarr,  tenty  pine  arpell  fiftee  cent." 

I  replied,  "  No  want." 

He  then  asked  me  if  I  had  a  "  night,"  making  the  motions  to  cut, 
meaning  knife. 

I  held  up  a  pocket-knife  and  asked,  "  How  much  can  give  ?  May 
have  (for)  ten  cokker-netes." 

"  Naurr  "  (no),  "  naurr,  naurr,  me  loss  ;  can  give  fife,"  showing 
five  of  his  fingers. 

I  replied  to  him  "  no,"  and  held  up  eight  pf  my  fingers. 

He  refused  again ;  but  soon  passed  up  the  eight  cocoa-nuts,  and  I 
tossed  into  his  hands  the  knife,  which  lie  examined  with  much'satis- 
faction. 

One  of  them  made  signs  for  garments,  and  I  held  up  a  black  coat, 
asking  him  how  much  he  would  give  for  it.  He  made  motions  for  me 
to  hold  it  in  several  different  views,  and  would  make  no  offer  until  he 
had  taken  it  into  his  own  hands.  He  began  looking  it  over  very  sus- 
piciously, until  he  found  a  great  rent  under  one  arm  ;  then,  turning 
6* 


66  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

upon  me  a  grave  countenance,  and  directing  my  attention  to  the  place, 
he  said, 

"  O,  Anglemun,  that  lie  !  " 

He  bought  it,  at  last,  for  four  or  five  pine-apples,  which  are  worth 
here  one  or  two  cents  apiece. 

The  two  proprietors  remained  on  board  some  hours,  during  which  I 
had  considerable  conversation  with  them.  One  of  them,  Cushman, 
conversed  in  broken  English,  mixed  with  Malay,  Dutch  and  Spanish, 
and  with  his  motions  I  could  understand  him  pretty  well ;  and,  in 
turn,  could  make  him  understand  without  much  difficulty. 

I  was  curious  to  see  how  the  Malay  women  looked,  having  learned 
that  they  were  never  allowed  to  be  seen  publicly  ;  and  Cushman  prom- 
ised to  take  me  to  his  house,  when  we  went  ashore,  and  show  me  hia 
wife  and  little  daughter. 

With  the  shore  in  sight,  the  time  seemed  long.  After  dinner,  be- 
tween three  and  four  p.  u.,  the  decks  being  cleared  of  the  natives,  the 
cheering  sounds  of  "  Lower  away  the  boat  "  came  to  my  ears.  With 
our  coats  and  umbrellas  we  went  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  without 
delay,  and  seated  ourselves  in  the  boat,  which  leaped  up  and  down  on 
the  waves.  Four  sailors,  who  had  sustained  the  best  character  for 
attending  to  their  duties  on  board,  were  allowed  the  privilege  of  row- 
ing the  boat ;  and,  as  we  left  the  vessel,  many  were  the  envious  glances 
thrown  them  from  their  comrades  on  deck.  I  could  understand  their 
feelings  very  well  from  my  own,  and  should  have  felt  no  less  the  pang 
had  I  been  left  behind. 

The  captain  had  refused  to  let  Cushman  and  the  other  proprietor  go 
in  our  boat,  as  they  had  their  own  prows  with  them,  though  they 
both  urged  strongly  to  be  permitted  to  go  with  us.  When  we  had 
pulled  away  a  short  distance,  we  were  amused  to  discover  Cushman 
perched  on  the  forward  part  of  the  boat,  looking  the  picture  of'happi- 
ness,  and  so  pleased  that  he  could  hardly  sit  still.  The  captain's  first 
impulse  was  to  go  back  and  leave  him  on  board  ;  but,  as  he  was  not  in 
the  way,  and  had  showed  so  much  earnestness,  he  allowed  him  to 
remain.  Cushman  evidently  thought  that,  to  secure  his  job,  it  waa 
best  to  keep  near  the  captain,  or  his  competitor  might  get  it  before 
him. 

Our  boat  glided  smoothly  over  the  water,  but  not  without  its  ups 
and  downs  on  the  agitated  waves,  and  an  occasional  dash  of  spray 
into  our 'faces.  The  rowers,  delighted  with  their  prospect  ashore, 


APPROACH   TO   ANGIER.  67 

pulled  strongly,  but  had  we  flown  I  presume  we  still  should  have  been 
impatient  to  reach  the  shore. 

We  were  somewhat  wet,  but  would  willingly  have  been  dipped  in 
the  briny  element,  had  it  been  necessary  to  our  success,  though  we 
should  have  liked  an  insurance  against  the  jaws  of  sharks.  On  our 
way  we  met  a  boat  with  a  European  crew.  We  stopped  and  had  a 
few  minutes'  conversation.  The  captain  was  from  a  whaling  vessel  that 
lay  near  the  shore,  and  he  was  going  on  board  of  our  ship  ;  but  we 
could  not  think  of  returning.  He  went  on  to  make  his  call,  while  we 
continued  on  our  course. 

As  we  approached  the  landing,  it  seemed  more  like  a  corner  in  Para- 
dise than  a  collection  of  mere  mud-huta,  as  I  had  expected.  Two 
long  beaches  met  at  an  angle,  where,  in  the  midst  of  cocoa-nut  groves, 
lay  Angier.  Two  long  lines  of  green  rollers  followed  each  other, 
curling  into  sheets  of  white  foam,  and  spending  their  force  on  the 
beach.  Corresponding  to  these  were  rows  of  young  cocoa-nut  trees, 
six  or  seven  deep,  which  stretched  away  in  soldier-like  order  for  miles 
on  either  side.  These,  with  their  slim  bodies  and  graceful  heads,  were 
beautifully  attractive.  A  large  banian-tree  of  dense  foliage,  above  the 
top  of  which,  upon  a  staff,  waved  the  Dutch  flag,  and  the  fortifications, 
with  walls  and  surfaces  covered  with  green  turf,  occupied  a  portion  of 
the  angle.  On  the  left,  a  wide  street,  shaded  with  the  beautiful  trees, 
extended  parallel  with  the  beach.  Grouped  together  without  order, 
and  forming  the  town,  were  one  or  two  hundred  native  bamboo  houses 
under  the  shades  of  the  groves. 

The  distance  of  four  or  five  miles  was  passed  in  about  an  hour  of 
animated  rowing,  and  we  landed  at  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  leading  up 
the  bank  at  the  entrance  of  the  canal. 

Ascending  the  steps,  we  experienced  a  sensation  at  the  knees  as  if 
the  body  had  acquired  double  its  usual  weight,  so  long  had  it  been 
that  we  had  not  stepped  on  anything  firm  and  unyielding.  When 
we  walked,  I  did  not  perceive  that  any  of  us  staggered,  or  that  the 
ground  was  rising  before  our  steps,  so  often  noticed  in  sailors,  the 
cause  of  which  is  attributed  to  their  having  been  so  long  at  sea ; 
though  I  attribute  it  to  the  short  time  they  had  been  on  land,  the 
cause  of  the  difficulty  being  in  the  head  instead  of  the  feet.  The  hap- 
piness of  seeing  land,  and  really  again  feeling  it  under  our  feet, 
produced  such  exuberance  of  spirits  that  I  could  hardly  confine  myself 
to  a  walk,  and  was  somewhat  afraid  my  feet  would  run  off  with  me  in 
spite  of  my  exertions.  As  we  went  towards  the  hotel,  followed  by  a 


68  CHINA    AXD   MANILLA. 

number  of  Malays,  I  could  hardly  realize  that  I  was  in  guch  a  beautiful 
place,  and  that  this  was  Java,  fifteen  thousand  miles  from  home ; 
and  I  thought  I  should  not  be  very  much  surprised  to  wake  up  and 
find  it  a  dream.  Everything  partook  of  such  an  entirely  different 
character  from  what  I  had  seen  before,  or  formed  in  my  mind,  that  I 
did  not  know  how  to  regard  it.  The  tropical  scenery,  so  wild,  yet  so 
beautiful.  The  air  itself  bore  a  peculiar  musky  odor,  which  reminded 
me  of  savages  and  wild  animals  ;  and  the  sun  poured  down  with  such 
intensity  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that  I  was  in  a  foreign  clime.  Passing 
a  little  way  beneath  the  shade  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  and  then  crossing 
the  clean  and  grassy  street,  we  entered  the  front-yard  of  the  hotel,  and 
took  seats  around  a  table  in  the  veranda.  This  hotel,  and  the  gov- 
ernor's house,  a  few  rods  distant,  were  the  only  European  buildings, 
and  these  belonged  to  the  Dutch  government.  The  others  were  all 
native  houses,  standing  a  little  way  apart,  on  one  side.  These  Euro- 
pean ones  were  low  and  covered  with  brick  tiles,  with  verandas  in 
front,  that  appeared  to  be  the  receiving-rooms.  The  ceiling,  instead 
of  plaster,  was  of  cane,  worked  like  cane-seat  chairs.  The  native 
houses  were  covered  with  thatched  straw,  enclosed  by  lattice-work  of 
split  bamboo. 

While  sitting  here  the  Dutch  governor  passed  on  foot,  followed  by 
a  Malay  soldier,  a  dozen  paces  behind.  The  governor  stepped  along 
easily  and  leisurely,  smoking  a  cigar.  His  dress  was  simple,  and  he 
wore  a  thin  frock-coat,  and  a  gold  band  around  his  cap.  The  Malay, 
stiff  and  erect,  in  military  dress,  with  a  brass  breast-plate  and  sword, 
paced  forward  like  a  walking-machine,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor 
left. 

"Waiting  a  short  time,  we  went,  according  to  the  custom,  to  pay  our 
respects  to  the  governor.  He  received  us  very  courteously,  and,  in 
English,  bade  us  be  seated,  the  Malay  servants  placing  chairs.  lie 
conversed  with  us  in  very  good  English,  and  set  before  us  English 
beer,  which,  in  this  climate,  is  very  refreshing.  He  was  rather  low- 
spirited,  having  lost  his  wife  a  few  months  since,  and  soon  after  their 
arrival.  Having  but  little  time  to  spare,  we  registered  our  names  in  a 
book  which  was  kept  for  the  purpose,  and  took  leave,  thanking  him 
for  his  politeness. 

As  we  came  outside  we  fell  in  with  Cushman,  who  was  waiting  for  us. 
He  was  determined  not  to  lose  sight  of  the  captain,  and  we  all  went 
together  to  his  house,  which  was  situated  in  the  group  of  Malay 


CCSIIMAN'S  HOUSE. — A  MALAY  MOTHER.  69 

houses.  It  was  very  hot,  and  we  seated  ourselves  on  the  grass,  while 
the  captain  and  Cushman  arranged  for  the  provisions. 

A  crowd  of  Malay  boys  and  girls  gathered  around,  staring  at  us.  I 
distributed  to  them  a  bundle  of  cake,  which  I  had  brought  from  the 
vessel.  They  at  first  received  it  very  shyly,  but,  getting  a  taste,  made 
no  further  delay  in  disposing  of  it.  Mr.  D.  and  I  walked  among  the 
houses  to  see  what  might  come  up.  We  sometimes  went  up  and  peeped 
through  the  interstices  of  the  bamboo  partitions,  to  see  what  was 
inside  ;  but  we  almost  invariably  started  back,  finding  that  a  pair  of 
Malay  eyes  were  watching  us,  reminding  us  of  the  man  who  looked 
through  a  key-hole,  and  found  an  eye  already  applied  to  the  other 
side. 

The  surrounding  forest  was  beautiful,  but  we  did  not  dare  to  pene- 
trate it,  so  near  to-night.  We  could  but  regard  the  large  clusters  of 
cocoa-nuts  near  the  tops  of  the  tall  trees  with-  some  suspicion,  as  we 
thought  of  the  possibility  of  their  falling  while  we  were  underneath  ; 
but  the  smaller  fruit  of  the  betel  nut,  plantain,  banian  and  bamboo, 
did  not  thus  intimidate  us. 

Returning  to  the  hotel,  we  found  our  friends  engaged  in  a  game  of 
billiards,  and  we  repaired  to  Cushman 's  to  remind  him  of  his  promise. 
He  readily  assented  to  fulfil  it,  and  showed  us  into  his  house.  This 
was  of  better  construction  than  the  majority  of  the  natives'  houses, 
and  yet  it  had  no  windows.  The  inside  seemed  to  be  one  single  room, 
divided  at  the  sides  into  little  alcoves,  about  as  large  as  small  state- 
rooms—  the  bed  being  a  platform  two  or  three  feet  high,  and  occupy- 
ing the  whole  of  the  space.  Cushman  carried  a  light,  and  led  us  to 
one  of  these  recesses,  enclosed  by  a.  musqui  to-net.  I  was  on  the  point 
of  asking  where  his  wife  was,  when  he  pulled  away  the  curtains,  at 
the  same  time  saying,  "  This  is  my  wife."  We  recoiled  a  step  or  two, 
not  expecting  to  see  her  in  such  a  place  ;  but,  as  she  did  not  appear 
frightened,  we  reassured  ourselves  and  looked  in.  Cushman  said 
something  to  her,  which  allayed  her  fears,  I  suppose,  about  us.  She 
was  sitting  up  in  her  bed,  and  holding  a  naked,  bronze-colored  child, 
of  about  fifteen  months  old.  The  little  daughter  turned  its  black  eyea 
on  us,  and  laughed,  displaying  on  its  wrists  two  glittering  bracelets, 
I  caressed  it,  and  its  mother  kissed  it  affectionately,  and  then,  smiling, 
offered  it  to  me  to  take  and  kiss  also.  I  should  have  taken  it  into  my 
arms,  bad  I  not  at  the  moment  observed,  glistening  on  its  plump  skin, 
the  cocoa-nut  oil  with  which  it  was  besmeared.  I  shook  my  head  and 
backed  out.  The  Malay  mother  appeared  to  be  about  fifteen  years  of 


70  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

age,  of  a  dark-red  complexion,  with  black  hair,  long  and  flowing,  black 
eyes,  large  and  full,  long  eyelashes,  and  features  feminine  and  noble. 
Had  she  been  dressed  (for  she  had  on  nothing  but  a  plain  red  silk 
mantle,  or  scarf,  thrown  loosely  over  her  shoulder,  and  crossing  her 
chest),  I  should  have  considered  her  handsome.  As  it  was,  her  form 
was  beautiful,  true  to  nature's  design;  and  the  shape  of  her  hoad, 
nose  and  mouth,  and  her  amiable  expression,  reminded  me  of  tho 
picture  of  Pocahontas,  the  Indian  girl,  saving  the  life  of  Capt.  Smith. 

The  roof  of  the  house  inside  was  wholly  exposed,  and  the  finishing 
was  of  a  curious  style,  with  points  and  carvings  in  wood  ;  but  thero 
was  not  time  to  examine  them.  We  had  seen  the  Malay  woman,  had 
partaken  of  the  hospitalities  of  a  Malay  family,  eaten  several  kinds 
of  fruits  ;  and,  pleased  with  our  visit,  though  a  hurried  one,  we  left 
again  for  the  hotel. 

On  the  way  we  came  to  a  large  building,  quite  different  from  the 
others  ;  and,  as  it  was  lighted,  we  concluded,  after  hesitating  a  few 
moments,  to  look  inside,  not  knowing  who  or  what  we  might  have  to 
deal  with.  With  pistols  in  our  pockets  and  umbrellas  in  our  hands, 
we  felt  equal  to  a  trial,  and  descended  a  flight  of  seven  or  eight 
stone  steps  below  the  ground.  Here  was  a  platform  of  stone,  and 
opposite  another  flight  of  steps  leading  up  to  the  door.  On  each  side  of 
the  platform,  Availed  in,  was  a  square  pool  of  water.  Ascending  the 
steps,  we  opened  the  door  and  entered  the  building.  There  was  a  single 
light,  and  two  men  were  prostrate,  on  the  paved  tile  floor,  before  an 
altar  or  table  ;  and  we  perceived  that  it  must  answer  to  the  Moham- 
medan mosque.  The  two  men,  on  seeing  us,  arose  and  stared,  as  if 
wondering  who  the  intruders  could  be.  We  made  some  signs,  asking 
if  we  could  look  around,  &c.  They  consulted  a  moment,  and 
answered, 

"  Urn  dollar,"  making  the  motions  to  the  effect  that  we  could  see 
all  for  one  dollar. 

There  was,  however,  little  more  than  an  empty  room,  and  we  had 
seen  all  already.  Turning  around,  we  walked  slowly  out.  The  ceil- 
ing was  the  naked  roof,  without  plastering.  This  was  open  wood- 
work, and  oddly  carved,  somewhat  like  Rev.  Mr.  Clarke's  church,  in 
Boston.  The  pools  of  water  outside  were  probably  used  in  some  of 
the  religious  rites.  As  they  are  placed  directly  in  the  way  of  the 
entrance,  they  may  be  for  the  feet  before  entering  the  mosque.  We 
saw  one  woman  wade  in,  agitate  the  water  with  her  feet,  and  pass 
out  again. 


A    MALAY    DINNER.  71 

Finding  our  friends  at  the  hotel  still  engaged,  and  dinner  not  ready, 
we  sallied  out  again,  taking,  in  the  dark,  a  direction  from  whence  we 
heard  issuing  musical  sounds, —  a  peculiar  tinkling  and  resonant  note, 
as  if  of  brass,  with  drummings,  of  a  dull,  dead  sound,  as  if  on  decayed 
wood. 

This  led  us  to  the  great  banian-tree,  where  we  found  a  group  of 
natives,  in  the  midst  of  whom  were  several  of  their  musicians,  sitting 
on  the  ground  and  playing.  One  had  a  sort  of  drum,  another  a  one- 
stringed  fiddle,  a  third  was  beating  on  a  kind  of  metallic  tureen,  turned 
bottom  side  up,  and  a  fourth  on  something  which  I  could  not  make 
out.  The  fiddle  was  like  that  I  have  heard  at  the  Chinese  Museum, 
and  the  other  instruments  of  a  similar  nature.  It  was  as  grotesque 
an  admixture  of  sounds  as  I  ever  heard,  yet  not  unmusical.  Some 
of  our  sailors  had  gathered  around,  and  were  dancing  and  capering 
to  the  music  ;  for  their  feet  were  not  to  be  kept  still  on  land,  after  the 
constraint  of  a  long  sea  voyage. 

On  returning  again  to  the  hotel,  and  finding  dinner  waiting,  we 
gave  this  our  especial  attention.  Our  company  was  now  increased 
by  an  English  captain,  who  was  bound  to  New  Holland,  and  a  Mr. 
Henshawl,  a  naturalist,  from  England. 

We  were  soon  seated  at  the  table.  I  did  not  wish  to  eat,  but  went 
through  the  ceremony  with  the  rest.  The  meats  and  vegetables  were 
so  different,  and  so  cooked,  that  I  did  not  like  them  at  all.  Curry  and 
rice  tasted  like  a  mixture  of  gravy  mixed  with  lime.  Curry  is  a  favor- 
ite dish  in  this  country,  but  one  taste  was  enough  for  me.  It  is  made 
of  some  kind  of  meat,  generally  of  chicken  fried.  A  gravy,  thickened 
with  spices,  tumeric,  and  the  strongest  pepper,  &c.,  is  poured  over 
the  meat,  and  eaten  as  a  sauce  with  boiled  rice.  The  two  captains 
entered  into  an  argument  upon  English  and  American  sailors  and 
seamanship,  and  followed  it  up  with  considerable  warmth.  We  passed 
an  hour  very  pleasantly.  Mr.  II.  took  us  to  his  room,  and  showed  us 
his  works,  &c.  He  is  employed  by  an  English  horticultural  society, 
botanizing  in  the  East  India  Islands  and  South  America  ;  — said  he 

knew  Mr.  G 1,  of  Boston,  and  left  him  well,  two  days  since,  at 

Batavia. 

At  a  little  past  ten  p.  M.  we  were  safely  on  board  our  vessel  again 
—  a  lantern  being  hung  at  the  mast's  head,  which  served  to  direct  us 
in  the  right  course. 


72  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LEAVE    JAVA. DANGEROUS     POSITION.  SUMATRA     SHORES.  THE    TWO 

BROTHERS.  GASPER   STRAITS.  ST.    LUCAS    ISLAND. TURTLE   MEAT. 

CALM    WEATHER.  INTENSE    HEAT.  FROLICKING    FISH.  LETTElt 

TO   A    BROTHER. UNWELCOME    SEA-BATHS. 

*  Straits  of  Sunda,  July  31sf. 

DEAR  BROTHER  S. :  At  daylight  the  ship's  supplies  were  taken 
in,  consisting  of  yams,  plantains,  green  cocoa-nuts,  sweet  potatoes, 
green  corn,  squashes,  geese,  ducks,  chickens  and  turtles,  &c.,  and  at 
seven  we  weighed  anchor.  There  was  so  little  wind  that  we  were  all  the 
forenoon  making  eight  or  ten  miles  ;  and  then  we  were  obliged  to  come 
to  anchor  again.  A  rocky  island,  with  a  few  bushes  growing  on  it, 
is  distant  about  a  quarter  or  half  a  mile.  The  current  sets  around 
this  with  much  power.  There  being  no  wind  to  take  us  ofl',  we  were 
in  danger  of  being  drawn  on  the  rocks ;  and  the  captain  cried  out, 

"  Let  go  the  anchor  !  " 

It  is  almost  fearful  to  see  the  chain  run  out.  The  anchor  is  cut 
loose,  and  drags  after  it  a  large  iron  cable,  twenty  times  as  large  and 
long  as  an  ox-chain,  that  runs  out  with  a  tremendous  velocity,  raising 
a  cloud  of  iron-rust  dust  and  smoke,  and  rattling  as  if  a  whole  machine- 
shop  had  broken  loose,  and  was  tearing  all  within  it  to  atoms. 

While  lying  here  I  amused  myself  in  trying  to  catch  some  fish,  in 
viewing  the  island  and  rocks  with  the  spy-glass,  and  in  watching  the 
foaming  surf  as  it  broke  over  them.  The  captain  this  forenoon  sent 
the  second  officer,  with  a  boat  and  men,  to  sound  the  depth  around  the 
island. 

Not  long  after  dinner  the  captain  thought  he  heard  the  jarring  of 
the  anchor,  as  if  dragging  ;  and  he  quickly  called  out  to  the  mate  for- 
ward, who  examined  and  confirmed  his  suspicions.  The  captain 
evinced  some  surprise,  and  much  anxiety.  I  noticed  that  the  island 
was  nearer  by  half  its  former  distance,  and  every  moment  it  seemed  to 
approach,  though  I  could  discern  no  motion  to  the  vessel.  The  cap- 
tain gave  his  orders  hurriedly,  here  and  there,  in  loud  and  decisive 
tones.  He  struck  the  knuckles  of  one  hand  into  the  palm  of  the  other, 
and  said  to  himself, 

"  We  shall  go  if  that  squall  strikes  her  before  we  can  get  away  !  " 

The  sailors  saw  his  emotion,  and  sprang  from  one  part  of  the  vessel 
to  another,  pulling  a  rope  here,  altering  a  sail  there,  and  jumping 
impulsively  the  moment  an  order  was  given.  A  part  of  the  men  were 
heaving  up  the  anchor,  the  captain  cheering  them  on  with  — 

"  Heave  away,  boys  !  now,  all  together !  steady  now  !  pull  away 
and  up  she  comes  !  "  &c. 

I  partook  of  the  inspiration,  and  laid  hold  of  the  ropes  wherever 
there  was  a  chance  of  giving  the  least  assistance.  The  rocks  wero 


"TWO    BROTHERS." SUN-FISH.  73 

now  but  a  little  more  than  the  vessel's  length  from  us.  The  captain 
said, 

"  Give  us  the  vessel's  length  and  the  wind  ;  that  is  all  I  ask." 

A  few  moments  of  suspense  followed,  and  I  heard  a  loud  breath.  I 
saw  that  it  was  from  the  captain.  He  breathed  again  freely,  and  the 
perspiration  rolled  down  his  face.  The  sails  filled,  the  anchor  was 
free.  The  vessel  sustained  herself,  stood  still  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then,  with  a  movement  hardly  perceptible  at  first,  glided  off  from  the 
island,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  she  was  past  all  danger.  We  kept  directly 
on  in  the  regular  course  for  Chin'a,  in  view  of  the  Sumatran  shore. 

There  were  several  natives  of  Sumatra  off  in  their  prows  to-day, 
pulling  after  us,  to  sell  us  their  fruits.  They  are  much  the  same  as 
the  natives  of  Java.  I  gave  a  trifle  for  a  basket  of  chilies  (small 
green  peppers),  thinking  they  might  wake  us  up  in  this  enervating 
climate.  I  took  one  about  as  large  as  a  good-sized  oat-seed,  chewing 
it  a  little  ;  and  it  did  wake  me  up, —  so  much  so  that  I  did  not  require 
another.  It  burned  me  like  a  coal  of  fire,  which  neither  water  or 
anything  else  would  quench,  until  it  ran  its  time  ;  and,  instead  of 
chewing  them  any  longer,  I  eschewed  the  whole  of  them. 

Tuesday,  August  1st.  —  The  Sumatra  shores  are  now  at  such  a  dis- 
tance that  we  can  only  see  their  blue  hills.  We  have  been  tacking 
ship  all  day,  with  our  neighbor,  a  Scotchman,  from  Glasgow,  whom 
the  captain  has  just  spoken,  and  are  in  sight  of  two  islands,  called  the 
"  Two  Brothers."  Sometimes  it  is  so  calm  that  the  vessel  lies  still  on 
the  water,  only  gently  rocking  ;  and  our  neighbor  Scotchman  is  in  the 
same  situation.  The  two  captains  have  just  conversed  about  the  pros- 
pect of  to-night.  Everything  is  so  quiet  that  we  can  hear  very  dis- 
tinctly what  is  said  by  the  crews  on  both  vessels.  With  the  passen- 
gers it  is  some  satisfaction  to  meet  with  and  enjoy  the  companionship 
of  another  fellow-traveller  upon  the  ocean  ;  but  the  captain  does  not 
evince  so  much  pleasure,  he  being  more  independent  of  such  influ- 
ences. We  have  made  but  thirty-two  miles  to-day. 

Wednesday,  August  Id.  —  We  go  along  slowly.  Had  heavy 
showers  this  inorn.  Our  neighbor,  the  Scotchman,  has  fallen  much 
astern.  We  have  lost  sight  of  the  coast  of  Sumatra,  and  of  the  "  Two 
Brothers,"  so  that  the  sea  appears  again  like  the  broad  ocean. 

A  large  shoal  of  sun-fish  were  about  the  vessel  to-day,  and  I  tried 
to  catch  some,  but  they  would  not  touch  the  bait.  We  have  made 
about  seventy  miles,  more  than  double  the  distance  of  yesterday. 

Thursday,  August  3rf.  —  This  evening,  at  eight  o'clock,  we  have 
just  passed  the  narrowest  part  of  Gasper  Straits.  We  left,  close  on 
our  right,  Pulo  Leat,  an  island,  on  which,  some  two  years  ago,  were 
lost  two  English  frigates.  These  vessels  were  thrown  on  the  rocks  in 
the  evening,  the  island  having  been  mistaken  for  another. 

The  crews  defended  themselves  for  three  or  four  days  from  the  native 
cannibals,  while  they  sent  a  boat  to  Batavia  for  a  ship  and  assistance. 
The  relief  came  just  in  season  to  prevent  their  being  sacrificed.  In  the 
mean  time  the  vessels  on  the  rocks  were  plundered  of  everything,  and 
were  a  total  loss.  This  island,  and  many  others  about  here,  we  are 
told,  are  inhabited  by  cannibals.  I  was  on  deck  most  of  this  evening, 

7  « 


74  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

in  the  cool  and  refreshing  breeze,  and  watching  Gasper  Island  as  it 
gradually  came  into  sight.  It  was  past  midnight  when  we  passed 
within  three  quarters  of  a  mile  of  its  shore. 

Between  Borneo  and  Sumatra,  Friday,  August  4th.  —  It  is  quite 
warm  this  morning.  This  kind  of  weather  is  very  depressing,  the 
air  seems  so  heated  and  rarefied.  We  all  resort  instinctively  to  the 
transom,  where  we  lie  reading  or  sleeping  until  something  rouses  us. 

We  are  again  out  at  sea,  with  no  land  in  sight.  All  the  islands 
have  disappeared,  and  we  are  skimming  along  at  four  or  five  knots  an 
hour  —  not  at  ten  or  twelve,  as  in  the  Southern  Ocean.  We  have 
passed  this  evening  a  vessel  bound  to  Angier.  All  the  civilities  that 
could  be  exchanged  in  the  dark  were  to  hang  lighted  lanterns  over 
the  sides  of  each  ship,  and  both  kept  on  their  respective  courses. 

At  about  eight  in  the  evening  a  vessel  shot  across  our  bows  ;  the 
captain  hailed  her  with  the  trumpet,  but  she  was  probably  another 
Dutchman,  for  he  got  no  answer.  As  we  lay  nearly  becalmed,  we  all 
took  our  seats  on  deck,  and  enjoyed  the  cool  breeze  till  ten.  The 
clouds  appeared  very  beautiful  after  sunset. 

Saturday,  August  5th.  — We  are  again  at  the  equator,  and  up  at 
half-past  seven.  This  afternoon  we  passed  St.  Lucas  Island,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile.  It  seemed  an  immense  rock, 
covered  in  part  with  bushes  and  some  cocoa-nut  trees.  The  part  next 
to  us  presented  a  bold  front  of  rock,  rising  perpendicularly  out  of  the 
water.  Towards  the  other  end  was  a  sand-beach,  on  which  we  could 
discover  only  trunks  of  trees,  drift-wood,  &c.  The  whole  island,  I 
should  judge,  does  not  contain  more  than  a  dozen  acres.  I  should  like 
to  be  one  of  a  party  to  visit  and  examine  these  islands.  They  show  no 
signs  of  inhabitants,  and  appear  to  be  formed  on  coral  reefs. 

We  crossed  the  equator  this  forenoon,  for  the  second  time.  The  air 
being  very  hot,  we  spent  the  evening  on  deck.  Singapore  lies  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  to  the  westward  of  us,  and  on  the  other  side 
of  us  is  the  island  of  Borneo. 

China  Sea,  Sunday,  August  6th,  1848.  —  I  arose  this  morning  at 
seven,  and  breakfasted  at  eight.  We  had  a  new  dish  at  this  meal, 
which  I  did  not  relish  well,  namely,  a  turtle  steak.  The  meat  has  a 
peculiar  odor,  which  I  dislike.  It  is  very  tender  and  white,  and 
tastes  much  like  young  veal,  though  it  is  not  as  juicy  as  other  meats. 
Many  people  contrive  to  make  out  four  different  kinds  of  meat  in  the 
turtle  ;  or  that  which  tastes  like  beef,  veal,  pork,  and  chicken.  I 
fancied  I  could  discover  these  differences  also.  It  is  considered  a  great 
delicacy  by  many  persons,  but  I  doubt  whether  I  should  ever  prefer  it 
to  other  meats. 

This  day  has  seemed  much  more  like  Sunday  than  the  last,  when 
we  were  at  anchor  in  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  surrounded  by  the  noisy, 
gabbling  Malays,  or  on  shore,  at  Angier,  in  the  midst  of  another 
crowd.  Never  before  did  a  Sunday  pass  when  I  paid  so  little  respect 
to  the  Sabbath  as  I  did  to  that.  Nothing  ought  to  prevent  my  recol- 
lection of  and  regard  for  that  day  ;  but  I  well  know  why  I  did  not 
then  remember  it.  The  continued  excitement,  the  presence  of  land 
after  so  long  and  absence,  —  the  sight  of  human  beings  from  the  other 


HEAT. BILL    OF    FARE.  75 

ships,  convincing  us  again  of  the  existence  of  others  in  the  world 
beside  ourselves,  —  the  thoughts  of  going  ashore,  the  jabbering  con- 
fusion of  the  natives,  and  many  other  things,  each  and  all  conspired 
to  the  same  end. 

To-day  was  observed  more  as  it  is  at  home.  I  read  a  few  chapters 
in  the  gospel  of  Mark,  and  letters  of  John  Q.  Adams  to  his  son  on 
the  Bible,  published  in  the  Christian  Register;  which  were  very 
instructive  and  interesting.  I  also  read  some  from  Swedenborg,  but 
do  not  expect  to  make  up  for  the  loss  of  the  forgotten  Sunday. 

It  has  been  exceedingly  hot  all  day,  and  we  have  sought  a  cool 
place,  removing  from  the  cabin  to  the  deck,  and  about ;  but  it  could 
nowhere  be  found.  We  are  too  near  the  equator  to  have  the  weather 
more  temperate.  Also  we  are  near  the  land,  which  absorbs  the  heat 
much  more  than  the  water.  It  is  as  still  on  board  to-day  as  in  a 
church.  We  are  sailing  very  calmly  and  slowly,  at  about  two  knots 
an  hour.  Mr.  R.  and  I  promenaded  the  deck  this  evening. 

A  shark's  fin  was  seen  yesterday  by  Mr.  D.  projecting  out  of  the 
water,  which  was  some  evidence  that  a  shark's  body  could  not  be 
far  off,  and  that  there  were  some  of  these  savage  creatures  lurking 
about.  They  swim,  when  near  the  surface,  with  the  back  fin  out  of 
water.  This  morn  the  captain  caught  sight  of  one,  and  baited  a 
hook,  trailing  it  after  the  vessel ;  but  he  saw  no  more  of  him. 

Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

China  Sea,  August  1th. 

DEAR  MR.  M :  The  thermometer  in  the  cabin  is  near  ninety.    On 

deck  it  would  stand  at  one  hundred  degrees.  I  wear  neither  coat, 
vest,  nor  handkerchief;  and  am  sometimes  inclined  to  follow  the 
Malay  fashion,  of  wearing  nothing.  This  afternoon  I  tried  lying  in  the 
boat  which  hangs  over  the  vessel's  side.  I  lay  comfortably  there, 
until  reminded,  by  the  hardness  of  the  bed,  that  I  was  still  flesh  and 
bones,  and  I  returned  to  the  cabin.  I  eat  but  little  meat  or  fat  food 
of  any  kind,  abstinence  from  it  being  one  of  the  best  antidotes  for 
heat.  And  I  have  found,  heretofore,  in  adopting  this  mode  of  living, 
that  less  inconvenience  from  heat  was  experienced,  and  I  have  required 
much  less  drink  than  the  others  about  me.  It  now  requires  some  self- 
denial  ;  for  we  have  the  choicest  meats,  and  other  articles  of  food,  that 
we  have  had  since  leaving  Boston.  The  quantity  of  what  we  eat  ought 
also  to  be  taken  into  consideration  ;  for,  if  we  overload  the  stomach 
with  even  a  vegetable  diet,  the  results  may  be  also  injurious.  For 
breakfast,  at  preset,  we  have  chocolate,  cold  water,  roast  chickens 
or  turtle-steak,  hot  biscuit,  and  fried  sweet  potatoes  ;  yams,  and  fried 
plantains.  The  plantains  in  flavor  are  somewhat  similar  to  apples 
sliced  and  fried.  For  dinner  we  have  roast  goose,  roast  chickens,  and 
roast  pork,  soup,  boiled  sweet  potatoes  and  yams  (the  last  much  like 
the  potato),  squash,  sweet-potato  pudding,  and  water,  not  cold  or 
good,  but  dashed  with  some  of  our  lemon  syrup,  which  renders  it  more 
palatable.  For  tea  we  have  bread  and  butter,  cold  meat,  sweet- 
potato  or  squash  pie,  and  tea. 


76  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

Tuesday,  August  Sth.  —  We  are  going  on  quite  slowly.  Sunday 
we  sailed  but  nineteen  miles,  and  yesterday  sixty.  We  are  expecting 
every  day  to  get  into  the  regular  north-west  monsoon,  and  soon  to 
reach  Hong-Kong.  Had  we  the  winds  that  prevailed  in  the  Southern 
Ocean,  we  should  have  gone  up  from  Angler  in  about  a  week.  I 
have  been  watching  for  snakes  and  sharks,  as  the  captain  informs  me 
that  the  China  Sea  is  full  of  them.  Mr.  D.  has  seen  several  snakes 
floating  on  the  water.  I  have  a  perfect  hatred  for  snakes  on  land, 
and  sharks  in  the  water. 

Wednesday,  August  9</i.  — It  is  very  slow  sailing,  this  calm  weather, 
we  having  made  to-day  only  sixteen  miles  —  less  than  a  mile  an  hour. 
Some  days  we  have  made  two  hundred  miles  more  than  to-day.  Day 
after  day,  for  a  week  past,  we  have  lain  floating  on  the  water,  almost 
motionless.  The  heat  is  intense.  On  deck  the  pitch  melts  and  runs 
out  of  the  seams.  At  noon  the  mercury  stood  at  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  degrees.  But  I  do  not  know  that  I  experienced  a  great 
deal  more  discomfort  from  the  heat  than  I  have  some  days  in  Boston. 
One  inconvenience  is  the  drenching  perspiration,  which  makes  us 
thirsty,  and  keeps  some  one  of  us  pretty  constantly  stirring  the  lemon 
syrup  ;  though  I  hardly  know  whether  to  prefer  the  warm  water  with 
or  without  the  syrup.  It  would  be  a  great  luxury  to  drop  into  the 
tumbler  a  piece  of  ice,  to  say  nothing  of  the  taste  of  the  water,  which 
has  been  shaken  in  barrels  now  more  than  three  months.  However, 
we  sometimes  resort  to  something  better.  We  took  in  at  Angier  over 
a  hundred  green  cocoa-nuts  ;  the  steward  cuts  off  the  end  of  one  with 
a  hatchet,  and  we  drink  the  water.  Some  of  them  contain  nearly  a 
quart  of  this  sweet  milky  water. 

The  last  eve  I  spent  the  time  in  various  ways  :  in  playing  on  my 
flute,  a  game  of  whist,  sitting  on  deck  and  having  a  chat  with 
Mr.  R.  while  we  cooled  off  in  the  open  air,  and  at  last  in  taking  a 
salt-water  bath.  We  have  not  quite  §o  good  conveniences  for  that  as 
are  found  under  the  Tremont  House,  in  Boston,  but  we  are  willing  to 
avail  ourselves  of  such  as  we  have.  A  half-dozen  buckets  of  salt  water 
are  first  thrown  over  you,  as  you  stand  crouched  over  with  your  head 
on  your  chest,  and  then  you  take  possession  of  a  half-hogshead  of 
salt  water,  and  splash  about  in  it  as  long  as  you  choose.  Mr.  II. 
administered  the  cooling  lotion  to  me,  and  I  experienced  the  full 
benefit  of  it,  and  afterwards  felt  much  refreshed.  As  to  drinking 
lemonade  made  of  lemon  syrup  as  freely  as  water,  I  believe  it  decid- 
edly bad.  Pure  water  may  be  carried  off  naturally  in  perspiration, 
but  lemonade  requires  digestive  action,  which  operates  injuriously 
where  drink  alone  is  required. 

Thursday,  August  Wth.  —  We  are  now  beginning  to  move  with 
more  speed.  I  have  commenced  arrangements  in  anticipation  of  the 
debarkation  at  Hong-Kong,  which  we  hope  to  realize  next  week.  It 
is  something  of  a  task  to  arrange  my  things,  though  contained  in  the 
narrow  dimensions  of  my  state-room.  My  clothing  and  towels 
hang  on  the  walls  ;  my  books,  papers,  &c.,  are  under  the  mattress  of 
my  berth  ;  and  my  boots,  brushes,  hats,  and  numerous  small  articles, 
are  stowed  wherever  I  could  find  a  place  for  them.  One  of  the 


A    SEA-BATH.  77 

men  has  a  bad  abscess  on  his  eye,  which  I  have  opened  and  syringed. 
I  have  performed  other  minor  operations  for  different  ones  of  the 
crew. 

Friday,  August  llth.  —  This  morning  opened  with  two  heavy 
showers  of  rain  ;  since  which  the  wind  has  blown  steadily,  taking  us 
along  at  the  rate  of  seven  or  eight  miles  an  hour  ;  and  we  conclude 
that  we  have  entered  the  regular  monsoon,  which,  at  this  season,  blows 
from  the  south-west.  The  sea  has  exchanged  its  smooth  and  tranquil 
face  for  one  more  rough  and  boisterous.  For  the  last  week,  when  at 
times  the  water  has  been  smooth  as  a  mirror,  its  surface  has  been 
agitated  by  shoals  of  fish  frolicking  around  us.  Every  day,  a  few  yards 
from  the  vessel,  they  would  appear,  making  the  water  boil  with  their 
gambols,  while  performing  many  fanciful  evolutions.  They  resemble 
mackerel,  but  are  larger.  I  am  eagerly  watching  for  a  shark.  The 
captain  says  that  he  never  yet  made  a  voyage  without  catching  one, 
but  it  is  now  so  late  as  to  be  quite  doubtful  whether  he  will  have  his 
usual  success. 

As  the  wind  rises  the  sea  shows  its  rebellious  spirit ;  the  vessel  begins 
to  reel  about  as  in  the  Southern  Ocean. 

Saturday,  August  12th,  latitude  8°  30'  north.  — We  have  squalls  of 
wind  and  heavy  showers.  The  sea  is  rough,  and  we  are  dancing  up 
and  down  on  it,  according  to  the  pleasure  of  the  two  elements. 

At  Sea,  Sunday,  August  13/A.  —  Again  we  have  had  a  fine  Sunday, 
and  a  very  comfortable  day,  with  a  warm  sun  and  cool  breeze.  We 
are  rapidly  nearing  the  end  of  our  voyage.  To-day  we  have  made  two 
hundred  and  twenty  miles,  and  each  countenance  brightens  up  at  this 
cheering  recital  from  the  captain.  We  arose  at  half-past  seven, 
bathed,  breakfasted,  and,  after  exercising  on  deck  for  a  time,  with 
books  in  hand  we  stretched  ourselves  upon  the  transom  below. 

Monday,  August  \&h.  —  We  have  made  over  two  hundred  miles 
to-day.  To-morrow  we  expect  to  see  Chinese  fishing-vessels,  of  which 
the  captain  has  spoken,  and  then  I  shall  be  convinced  that  China  is 
not  far  distant. 

For  the  last  two  days  the  heat  has  been  pretty  intense,  and  we  all 
appear,  and,  I  think,  feel,  much  as  a  wilted  leaf  looks.  It  is  too  hot 
for  eating  or  sleeping,  and  the  transom  is  the  general  place  of  rendez- 
vous. I  was  on  deck  in  the  night  till  near  two  this  morning,  not  being 
able  to  sleep  before  that  hour.  After  getting  to  sleep  I  was  disturbed, 
about  three  o'clock,  by  another  nocturnal  sea-bath,  it  having  been  too 
hot  to  have  my  window  closed.  I  was  suddenly  awakened  oy  it,  and 
found  the  water  pouring  over  me.  At  first  the  thought  arose  that  I 
was  overboard,  but  I  soon  discovered  that  the  water  came  from  the 
open  window.  The  wind  was  blowing,  and  had  so  raised  the  sea  that 
the  water  rushed  upon  me  like  a  little  river.  Closing  the  window,  I 
arranged  myself  as  comfortably  as  I  could,  though  well  drenched,  and 
went  to  sleep  again.  At  about  ffve  o'clock  another  heavy  sea  came 
pouncing  against  the  ship,  and  kindly  presented  me  with  a  second 
edition  of  the  bath.  I  arose,  and  ascertained  that  the  window  had 
been  burst  in.  This  being  secured,  I  lay  down  in  my  drenched 
clothes,  determined  that  I  would  remain  till  the  usual  time  for  rising. 
7* 


78  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

I  was  soon  awakened,  for  the  third  time,  by  a  loud  crash,  —  a  large 
sea  having  struck  the  ship  astern.  I  looked  into  the  cabin,  and  saw 
the  captain  spring  from  the  transom,  soaked  through  for  the  second 
time  ;  and  we  had  considerable  merriment  at  each  other's  expense. 
He,  however,  had  received  the  largest  libation  of  the  briny  element, 
the  cabin  windows  being  several  times  larger  than  those  in  the  state- 
rooms. I  enjoy  salt-water  baths,  but  like  to  choose  my  time  for  taking 
them.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

FLYING-FISH  FOR  FOOD. CHINESE  FISHING-BOATS.  —  ISLANDS.  —  ACCI- 
DENT.—  CHINESE  PILOT-BOAT. ARRIVAL  AT  HONG-KONG. APPEAR- 
ANCE OF  THE  PLACE. AMERICANS. LETTER  TO  A  SISTER,  AND 

INCIDENTS. HONG-KONG. CHINESE      SERVANTS. THEIR     NECESSITY 

TO    FOREIGNERS. CHINESE   SMALL    FEET,    ETC. 

CHINA  SEA,  Tuesday,  August  15th.  —  We  are  now  not  many  daya 
distant  from  Hong-Kong.  While  Boston  friends  have  been  enjoying 
the  summer,  or  a  part  of  it,  in  the  country,  it  has  not  been  so  with 
me.  The  summer  of  this  year  to  me  is  lost,  having  seen  nothing  that 
reminded  me  of  it.  It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  it  is  not  yet  May,  that 
summer  is  to  come,  or  that  it  passed  while  we  were  sleeping.  I  can- 
not realize  that  I  have  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  but  my  dates 
convince  me  that  this  season  is  nearly  past. 

We  have  had  for  breakfast  a  flying-fish,  that  flew  on  board  yester- 
day and  fell  on  the  deck.  It  was  very  nice,  being  tender  and  of  fine 
flavor  ;  still  I  should  prefer  fresh  cod  at  home.  I  noticed  that  the 
flying-fish  has  four  wings,  two  large  and  two  small.  To-day  I  vacci- 
nated the  captain,  Mr.  R.  and  myself,  as  a  precautionary  measure, 
previous  to  landing  in  China. 

Wednesday,  August  16th,  latitude  19°  14'.  —  Only  two  degrees  from 
Hong- Kong.  The  vessel  now  moves  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  an  hour, 
but  I  almost  fear  to  look  out,  lest  it  should  become  calm.  The  weather 
is  hot,  though  less  so  than  yesterday.  At  dinner  to-day  our  last  goose 
was  served  up,  and  this  afternoon  our  last  pig  suffered  death  at  the 
hands  of  the  cook. 

Thursday,  August  YJth.  — I  arose  this  morning  full  of  hope,  exp"ect- 
ing  to  see  Hong-Kong,  and  was  not  disappointed.  We  all  beheld  it 


CHINESE   PILOT-BOAT.  79 

with  much  interest,  it  being  the  first  Chinese  land  we  had  seen.  As 
we  approached,  several  Chinese  fishing-boats,  lying  outside,  presented 
a  worse  appearance  than  the  Malay  boats  we  had  left  behind.  During 
the  forenoon,  having  sailed  in  among  the  islands,  and  nearly  shut  out 
from  the  main  sea,  we  saw  one  of  their  boats  making  directly  for  us, 
and  it  soon  was  alongside.  A  Chinaman,  holding  on  to  the  mast, 
was  crying  out, 

"  Capem,  hab  pilort?  Capem,  hab  pilort?  "  almost  as  fast  as  he 
could  speak. 

Poor  fellow  !  one  minute  he  was  happy,  smiling  and  gesticulating 
excitedly,  with  the  expectation  of  getting  his  pilotage,  and  the  next  he 
was  angrily  shaking  the  rudder,  and  jabbering  away  to  his  men.  His 
hopes  were  suddenly  blasted,  for  his  boat  caught  on  the  boat-cranes  of 
our  ship,  which  broke  his  mast,  and  the  sails  fell  on  his  deck.  A 
striking  change  came  over  his  countenance ;  he  looked  first  on  his 
crew  and  shattered  sails,  and  then  at  us,  as  we  left  him  behind,  and 
he  burst  into  a  furious  storm  against  his  wife,  who  had  had  charge  of 
the  helm.  The  last  we  saw  of  him,  his  boat  was  pitching  up  and 
down  in  the  same  place,  while  we  were  keeping  on  our  way. 

At  twelve  M.  another  pilot-boat  appeared,  and  was  more  successful. 
Two  Chinamen  came  on  board,  and  the  captain  inquired  their  price 
for  piloting  into  Hong-Kong.  After  some  hesitation,  one  answered, 

"  Twenty-five  dollars." 

The  captain  laughed,  but  made  no  answer,  and  the  celestial  pilot 
diminished  the  price,  five  dollars  at  a  time,  twenty  dollars,  and  an 
agreement  was  made  for  five  dollars.  The  captain  offered  to  send  us 
into  Hong-Kong  by  the  pilot-boat,  which  would  go  much  quicker  than 
the  ship  ;  but  we  preferred  staying  with  the  vessel  to  going  aboard  of 
that  Chinese  craft,  with  the  whole  family  on  board,  and  no  place 
to  sit.  It  was  a  dirty,  rickety  thing,  with  fish  scattered  about  to  dry, 
and  smelling  bad  enough  to  produce  cholera.  The  woman  had  com- 
mand of  the  helm,  and  had  an  infant  slung  to  her  back.  At  first  I 
thought  it  was  dead,  its  head  moving,  like  a  leaden  weight,  from  side 
to  side,  with  the  motions  of  the  mother  ;  but  I  soon  perceived  that  it 
was  accustomed  to  this  kind  of  life,  and  was  asleep.  The  boat  staid 
by  us  for  an  hour,  having  three  other  pilots  on  board,  and  then  went 
on  to  find  other  ships.  Before  leaving,  one  of  them,  having  heard  me 
addressed  as  doctor,  made  my  acquaintance,  and  wished  me  to  go  on 
board  of  the  boat  and  extract  a  tooth.  This  he  expressed  by  signs, 
mingled  with  English  and  Chinese  words. 


80  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Their  sails  are  singular-looking  things,  made  of  coarse  matting, 
spreading  and  closing  like  a  fan  ;  and  the  hull  was  coarsely  constructed 
of  bamboo,  with  some  other  kinds  of  wood. 

The  ship  has  been  beating  up  slowly  against  the  current  all  day. 
It  seems  as  if  we  shall  never  pass  all  the  islands,  a  distance  of  only  a 
few  miles  ;  but  we  shall  try  to  be  patient  until  to-morrow. 

Friday,  August  \8th,  Hony-Kong. —  Early  this  morning  there  was 
considerable  noise  overhead,  awaking  me  before  light.  Seated  in  my 
berth,  and  looking  out  of  the  window,  I  beheld  a  scene  very  different 
from  anything  I  had  witnessed  for  a  long  time.  It  appeared  more 
like  a  picture  than  a  reality,  and  much  like  a  panoramic  view.  But 
I  did  not  remain  there  long,  the  deck  affording  a  better  prospect.  I 
saw  enough,  however,  to  notice  a  number  of  Chinese  rowing  about  in 
their  curious  boats,  and  many  vessels  at  anchor.  There  is  a  largo 
man-of-war,  and  beyond  it,  at  the  foot  of  very  high  land,  in  the  back- 
ground, and  lying  along  the  water's  edge,  is  what  I  take  to  be  the 
town  of  Hong-Kong.  It  appears  like  a  long  range  of  brick-kilns,  of  a 
disagreeable  red  color.  Rising  above,  in  several  places,  are  a  number 
of  hirge  and  well-appearing  white  houses ;  but  the  view  is  not  pre- 
possessing. I  conclude  that  I  shall  not  wish  to  stop  here  long,  and 
that  my  curiosity  will  be  soon  over.  The  surrounding  scenery  is 
generally  interesting.  The  harbor  seems  like  a  pretty  lake,  of  ten 
miles  in  breadth,  enclosed  within  a  circle  of  bold,  rugged,  and  barren 
ranges  of  mountains.  There  are  few  trees  and  but  little  green  foliage 
visible,  and  Hong-Kong  looks  sunburnt  and  brown.  It  is  now  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I  am  writing  in  my  little  room  these 
few  lines,  which  is  as  much  as  I  accomplish  at  one  time.  I  have 
just  overheard  the  second  officer  say  to  the  captain, 

"  A  gentleman  wishes  to  see  you." 

And,  a  moment  after,  another  voice, 

"  Good-morning,  captain." 

He  speaks  English  ;  yes,  he  is  an  American.  His  name  is  Williams. 
He  has  come  on  board  for  letters,  packages,  and  general  news.  Enter- 
ing into  conversation,  he  inquires  if  we  did  not  have  a  hard  typhoon 
several  days  ago.  He  informs  the  captain  that  there  was  one,  a 
hundred  miles  back,  on  our  route ;  that  vessels  were  dismasted,  and 
that  some  went  to  pieces,  &c.  The  news  that  each  has  to  relate  is 
quickly  communicated,  and  now  he  has  taken  leave. 

Mr.  Ingols,  also  an  American,  came  on  board  soon  after,  for  the 
same  purpose. 


HONG-KONG.  81 

When  I  first  arose  I  looked  out  of  the  companion-way  to  the  deck, 
and  saw  several  Chinese,  with  their  ugly  long  dresses,  braided  tails 
of  hair,  and  angular  eyes,  gabbling  away  very  earnestly  with  each 
other,  and  now  and  then  peering  down  into  the  cabin. 

Very  high  land  rises  directly  in  front  of  the  vessel.  It  is  so  high 
that  from  the  cabin  I  cannot  see  its  top.  It  looks  like  the  base  of  a 
high  mountain. 

While  we  were  at  breakfast  an  English  officer  came  on  board,  and 
took  notes  concerning  our  cargo,  the  list  of  passengers,  &c.,  observing 
that  this  was  unpleasant  business  to  him,  and  that  he  hoped  it  would 
soon  be  dispensed  with.  Afterwards  there  came  a  Mr.  Duus,  who 
invited  us  to  go  ashore  in  his  boat,  which  invitation  we  gladly 
accepted.  His  boat  was  covered,  and  protected  from  the  sun. 

I  find  the  man-of-war  to  be  the  "Cambrian,"  an  English  vessel, 
and  the  brick-kiln-looking  shore  to  be  the  sides  of  the  mountain, 
washed  and  worn  out  by  the  rain,  which  shows  the  soil  to  be  red. 
The  position  of  our  vessel  was  such  that  when  on  board  we  could  see 
little  else  than  the  dark  mass  of  tiled  roofs,  and  the  red  earth  on  the 
sides  of  the  mountain.  Now,  on  shore,  we  find  quite  a  little  city. 

After  sitting  a  while  at  Messrs.  Rawle  and  Duus',  and  refreshing 
ourselves  by  a  glass  of  beer,  Mr.  R.  and  I  started  for  the  hotel,  a 
Chinese  boy  showing  us  the  way.  We  passed  along  a  street  of  Chinese 
stores,  —  curious-looking  places,  two  stories  high,  with  the  fronts  of 
the  first  story  entirely  open.  They  reminded  me  of  rows  of  cabins  on 
board  our  river  steamboats,  they  were  so  uniform.  As  we  passed 
along  we  glanced  into  the  shops,  and  invariably  met  several  China- 
men, with  wooden  faces,  staring  out  at  \is,  and  as  quietly  as  if  they 
had  been  so  doing  for  several  hours.  We  thought  them  the  greatest 
starers  we  had  ever  seen.  Having  reached  the  hotel,  we  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  Winneberg,  the  proprietor,  and  arranged  to  stay 
there.  Mr.  W.  is  a  Pole  by  birth,  but  speaks  good  English.  We  sat 
down,  had  some  soda-water  brought,  and  then  amused  ourselves  in 
looking  at  the  servants  and  hearing  them  talk.  They  were  Chinese 
boys,  with  bald  heads,  and  long  braided  tails  hanging  down  their 
backs.  They  wore  white  frocks,  long  stockings,  and  slouching  pan- 
taloons. As  they  turned  from  us,  we  laughed,  and  commented  on 
their  figures,  the  odd  tones  and  inflections  of  their  voices,  their  queer 
mixture  of  English  and  Chinese.  I  thought  to  myself  that  if  we 
looked  as  singularly  to  them  as  they  do  to  us,  I  would  endeavor  to  be 
charitable  towards  them  when  subjected  to  their  criticism  and  curi- 


82  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

osity  ;  for  when  we  look  at  our  own  dress,  we  find  it  much  more 
unnatural  than  theirs.  Our  tall,  hollow  hats,  and  long- tailed  coats, 
cannot  be  beaten  this  side  of  the  moon.  Having  examined  the  pictures 
about  the  room,  and  observed  the  foreign  air  of  everything,  we  walked 
out  to  see  how  things  appeared.  Passing  down  the  street  to  the  west, 
we  noticed  fine  large  buildings  on.  both  sides,  all  of  European  construc- 
tion,—  the  English  barracks,  hospital,  &c.  The  streets  have  comfort- 
able sidewalks,  and  the  roads  are  excellent,  being  Macadamized  as 
smoothly  and  evenly  as  if  plastered  with  mortar.  Crowds  of  Chinamen 
were  moving  along  at  a  half-run,  with  burthens  upon  their  backs. 
We  see  no  horses,  except  a  few  for  the  pleasure  of  private  individuals, 
and  used  only  for  riding  or  with  a  carriage.  The  Chinese  coolies  per- 
form all  the  labor  of  horses  and  cattle.  The  weather  is  intensely  hot, 
and  had  I  not  taken  my  umbrella  we  should  have  suffered  much. 

I  called  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baylies,  and  was  very  glad  to  see  their 
faces,  they  being  the  only  persons  here  with  whom  I  am  acquainted. 
Joining  Mr.  R.  at  the  hotel,  we  there  met  Captain  Graves,  Mr.  Dane, 
and  Mr.  Haskell,  and  Mr.  Bassett,  —  a  pleasant  party  of  Americans, 
and  all  well  acquainted.  As  the  hotel  was  full,  Mr.  R.  and  I  were 
obliged  to  take  cane-seated  settees  in  a  room  together  at  night  for  our 
beds. 

Saturday,  August  13th.  —  "We  breakfasted  together  this  morn  at 
eight  o'clock,  not  much  refreshed  by  the  rest  of  last  night.  We  lay 
cramped  up  on  the  settees,  roasting,  and  half  eaten  up  by  mosquitoes. 
I  do  not  think  I  slept  ten  minutes,  and  Mr.  R.  was  talking  to  them 
apparently  the  whole  night. 

We  have  had  heavy  showers  and  violent  gusts  of  wind  through  the 
day.  All  are  expecting  a  typhoon,  —  a  very  destructive  wind,  which 
often  takes  off  the  roofs  of  buildings,  and  damages  the  shipping.  We 
dined  at  half-past  four,  and  had  coffee  at  nine  p.  M.,  in  the  room  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Bassett,  where  we  were  convened. 

Sunday,  August  ZQth.  —  I  arose  at  half-past  six  A.  M.  Mr.  R.,  Mr. 
B.  and  myself,  went  with  Captain  Bearse,  before  breakfast,  on  board 
of  hia  ship.  There  are  no  wharves  here,  and  vessels  are  obliged 
to  lie  off  in  the  harbor.  Each  ship  hires  a  Chinese  boat  by  the 
day,  which  holds  itself  in  readiness  to  serve  at  all  times.  We  also 
visited  the  "  General  Harrison,"  Captain  Gardiner,  of  Boston. 
While  out  in  the  boat  a  squall  came  up,  which  threatened  to  capsize 
us ;  but  the  Chinese  manage  a  boat  well.  It  rained  in  torrents,  but 
the  boat's  cover  and  our  umbrellas  kept  us  nearly  dry.  Several  times 


SEDANS. MUSIC.  A    DENTAL    OPERATION.  88 

the  boat  dipped,  but  the  water  quickly  ran  out,  our  unnecessary  fears 
allayed,  and  we  were  returned  safe  to  the  shore. 

At  noon  we  called  at  the  American  consul's,  Mr.  Bush's,  to  deliver 
our  letters  of  introduction.  He  was  away,  but  we  were  politely  enter- 
tained by  Mr.  Nye,  formerly  from  New  Bedford.  We  are  careful  to 
keep  out  of  the  sun,  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

This  day  has  not  seemed  much  like  Sunday,  though  I  tried  to  make 
it  appear  so  by  reading  a  few  chapters  in  the  Bible.  There  is  an 
Episcopal  church  here,  which  is  little  attended  now,  —  most  of  its 
members  being  at  Macao  during  the  hot  weather,  which  continues 
through  July,  August,  and  September.  Sunday  is  like  any  other  day 
to  the  Chinese,  who  frequent  their  Josh  houses  at  any  time  during 
the  day  or  week. 

Monday,  August  21st.  —  Mr.  Bassett,  Mr.  Haskell,  Mr.  Rotch  and 
myself,  breakfasted  together  at  the  hotel.  Afterwards,  I  walked  to 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  winding  up  by  the  narrow  streets,  which 
are  cut  out  of  the  steep  sides.  We  met  some  gentlemen  and  ladies 
riding  in  their  sedans.  I  think  that  I  could  not  content  myself  to  be 
carried  in  that  manner,  on  the  backs  of  human  beings ;  but  I  am 
aware  of  the  influence  of  custom,  and  I  shall  not  be  surprised  to  find, 
at  any  time,  that  I  have  adopted  the  same  mode  of  conveyance.  The 
walled  up  water-courses  are  quite  ornamental,  and  the  water  glides 
along  in  them  from  the  high  ravines  to  the  harbor.  I  was  so  hot  and 
fatigued,  that  a  short  walk  and  shorter  ascent  satisfied  me.  I  passed 
some  Chinese  convicts  at  work  on  the  streets,  with  armed  guards 
standing  over  them.  They  were  all  in  chains,  and  looked,  most  of 
them,  like  desperate  characters.  Towards  night,  Mr.  H.  and  I  walked 
up  to  the  English  barracks,  and  saw  drilling  some  companies  of  Irish 
and  Bombay  soldiers  which  are  stationed  here. 

A  stranger,  in  the  hotel,  hearing  my  flute,  this  evening,  came 
in  with  his  accordeon,  and  we  played  a  few  tunes  together. 

Tuesday,  August  22d. —  I  called  at  Mr.  B.'s  and  met  Dr.  M.,  the 
colonial  surgeon.  I  found  him  very  affable  and  agreeable,  and  made 
an  appointment  to  meet  him.  I  also  visited  the  English  frigate,  the 
"  Cambrian,"  with  Mr.  Bassett,  and  afterwards  we  went  on  board 
the  "  Cleone,"  an  American  merchantman.  After  dinner,  I  was 
called  by  Dr.  M.  to  go  and  perform  an  operation  on  a  gentleman's 
teeth.  Dr.  Y.  administered  chloroform,  and  I  removed  several  of  the 
offending  organs,  without  any  sensibility  to  the  patient.  Towards 


84  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

night  we  walked  to  the  barracks,  and  listened  to  the  playing  of  the 
military  band  on  the  parade-ground. 

Wednesday,  August  23</.  —  Mr.  K.  wished  me  to  go  with  him  in  the 
"  T.  W.  Sears  "  to  Canton,  but  I  could  not  accompany  him.  To-day 
I  have  remained  at  home,  at  the  hotel.  In  the  evening  we  had  music 
in  Mr.  Bassett's  room.  The  weather  is  extremely  hot  in  Hong-Kong. 
I  begin  to  wonder  if  it  is  not  warmer  than  usual.  Even  when  we  keep 
perfectly  still  and  quiet,  we  perspire  profusely. 

Thursday,  August  24/A.  —  I  have  walked  up  the  valley  between  the 
mountains,  and  seen  the  English  race-ground,  —  Mr.  Lewis,  of 
Penang,  accompanying  me.  By  the  hospitable  politeness  extended  by 
Messrs.  Drinker  &  Co.,  I  took  up  my  abode  at  their  house  to-day.  I 
have  called  on  Dr.  Morrison,  and  had  an  hour  of  pleasant  conversa- 
tion on  various  topics  relating  to  China. 

It  is  very  sickly  among  the  English  troops.  Nine  of  them  died 
to-day.  Their  disease  is  called  the  "  Hong-Kong  intermittent  fever," 
and  often  terminates  life  very  suddenly.  On  the  day  that  we  landed, 
a  man,  who  was  stopping  here  at  the  hotel,  breakfasted,  as  usual,  was 
afterwards  taken  ill,  and  went  to  the  hospital,  and  at  six  in  the 
afternoon  he  was  dead  and  buried.  He  was,  however,  intemperate  in 
both  eating  and  drinking.  On  the  next  day  eleven  persons,  and  nine 
on  the  succeeding  one,  fell  victims  to  the  disease,  and  were  buried  on 
the  days  of  their  deaths.  They  bury  here  almost  immediately  after 
death. 

LETTER  TO   A   SISTER-IN-LAW. 

Hong-Kong,  August  25iA. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  E.  C.  B. :  Last  night  I  had  no  sleep,  on  account 
of  a  few  insignificant  insects,  called  mosquitoes.  They  continued  their 
ravages  most  of  the  night ;  and,  this  morning,  my  face,  forehead  and 
hands,  are  covered  with  the  effects  of  their  bites.  This  is  the  first  of 
my  occupation  here  at  Mr.  Drinker's,  and  probably  I  did  not  arrange 
the  net  properly.  To-night,  I  shall,  no  doubt,  profit  by  my  experi- 
ence. Mr.  D.  is  an  American  merchant,  and  has  been  here  several 
years.  There  are  several  others  from  America  connected  with  the 
house,  which  will  make  it  pleasant  for  me.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baylies  are 
also  staying  here  for  the  present,  besides  three  or  four  other  Americans. 
Altogether,  we  make  up  quite  a  representation  of  Americans  ;  and,  I 
should  think,  considerable  of  a  family  to  Mr.  D.,  the  servants  all 
included. 

This  afternoon  I  dined  with  Mr.  Bush,  the  American  consul.  I 
there  met  another  agreeable  company  of  Americans,  several  of  whom 
belonged  to  the  house.  We  were  seated  at  half-past  four,  and  made 


SERVANTS.  85 

a  large  table-full,  that  was  set  out  in  handsome  style,  and  loaded  to 
profusion  with  various  eatables,  &c.,  and  attended  by  an  array  of 
Chinesa  servants,  fourteen  or  sixteen,  to  S3e  that  the  plates  were 
replenished ;  so  that  we  could  but  eat,  whether  we  would  or  not. 
Judging  from  two  days'  experience  with  two  American  families,  I 
should  think  they  were  daily  keeping  a  general  thanksgiving.  There 
was  only  one  lady  at  the  table,  Mrs.  N.  She  reminded  me,  in  her 
manners  and  general  deportment,  so  much  of  sister  C.  that  I  was 
really  inclined  to  sadness ;  and  I  think  that  I  must  have  appeared 
strangely,  by  my  absent-mindedness.  An  hour  and  a  half  passed,  and 
then  all  adjourned  to  the  veranda,  up  stairs.  Here,  in  bamboo  re- 
clining-chair,  and  overlooking  the  harbor,  we  enjoyed  coffee  and  cigars, 
engaging  in  social  and  lively  conversation.  On  taking  leave,  Mr. 
B.  informed  me  of  his  hours  for  breakfast,  dinner  and  tea,  and  said  he 
should  be  happy  to  have  me  come  in,  whenever  disposed,  and  take  a 
seat  at  his  table,  where  there  would  always  be  a  plate,  knife,  fork,  &c., 
for  me.  I  thanked  him  for  this  proof  of  his  kindness,  but  am  unwill- 
ing to  make  such  a  free  use  of  his  hospitality. 

Saturday,  August  26/A.  —  The  Chinese  servants  are  called  boys.  It 
makes  no  difference  if  they  are  fifty  years  old  ;  they  are  still  called 
boys.  To-day,  when  Mr.  Ingols  called  out  for  his  boy,  there  came  a 
bald-headed,  grave  and  dignified  Chinaman,  with,  apparently,  years 
enough  over  his  head  to  be  Mr.  Ingols'  father.  The  boy  answered  to 
his  demands,  and  disappeared.  If  these  are  the  boys,  I  suppose  you 
may  ask,  "  Where  are  the  men?  " 

My  boy  made  his  appearance  to-day.  I  determined,  at  first,  that  I 
would  not  have  any  servant.  I  noticed  yesterday,  at  breakfast,  that 
there  was  one  behind  every  chair  but  mine,  some  fourteen  in  all,  and 
concluded  that  there  were  altogether  too  many  of  them,  and  that  I 
would  not  be  the  means  of  adding  to  the  number.  I  thought  it  need- 
less for  each  one  to  have  a  servant  to  wait  on  him  at  the  table,  and 
preferred  to  wait  on  myself,  rather  than  to  ask  anything  of  such 
repulsive-looking  characters.  However,  I  soon  found  that  it  was  not 
easy  to  do  without  them.  It  is  the  custom  here,  and  others  at  the 
table  would  not  help  me  ;  in  fact,  they  kept  things  out  of  my  reach. 
They  knew  that  I  had  no  servant,  and  intended  to  force  me  to  get  one, 
which  they  did.  I  found  that  my  boots  went  without  blacking,  that 
my  mosquito-net  was  full  of  mosquitoes,  that  every  one  but  myself 
had  a  cup  of  coffee  in  the  morning,  that  no  water  was  taken  to  my 
chamber,  that  there  was  no  one  to  bring  me  a  cup  of  tea  in  the  even- 
ing, thai;  I  needed  a  boy  to  get  me  a  tailor,  a  washerman,  a  boatman, 
&c.  ;  and  that  a  great  variety  of  things  made  it  necessary  for  me  to 
fall  in  with  the  custom.  Even  my  clothes  were  not  safe  from  theft  by 
the  other  boys,  unless  I  had  my  own  boy  to  be  responsible  for  their 
safety.  I  disliked  the  idea  of  being  so  helpless  and  dependent  for 
things  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of,  and  preferred,  doing  myself;  but  I 
must  now  have  some  one  to  do  them  for  me.  When  I  first  saw  my 
boy,  although  good-looking  enough  for  one  of  his  nation,  I  did  not 
fancy  him,  and  did  not  wish  to  speak  to  him,  or  call  on  him  for  any- 
thing. At  dinner,  he  took  his  place  behind  my  chair,  and  very  atten- 


86  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

lively  waited  on  me,  but  I  felt  as  much  annoyance  as  satisfaction  from 
his  presence. 

Sunday,  August  27th.  —  The  business  places  of  foreigners  are  closed 
to-day  ;  but  the  shops  and  working  places  of  the  Chinese  are  open,  as 
on  any  other  day.  The  Chinese  proceed  with  their  affairs  as  if  Sun- 
day never  came. 

The  heat  is  so  oppressive  that  I  remained  within  doors  most  of  the 
day.  Towards  night,  I  took  a  walk  with  Mr.  H.,  and  returned  to  the 
veranda  at  Mr.  D.'s,  where  we  extended  ourselves  on  the  big  chairs,  to 
enjoy  the  cooling  breeze  from  the  water.  These  chairs  are  made  of 
bamboo,  and  set  on  little  wheels,  and  are  so  constructed  that  one  may 
sit  or  lie  on  them,  in  almost  any  position. 

The  veranda  here  opens  in  front,  from  the  second  story,  and  affords 
a  full  view  of  the  harbor,  vessels,  and  the  surrounding  country.  Below 
the  veranda,  the  garden  reaches  to  the  water,  where  it  is  protected  by 
a  sea-wall  of  stone  blocks.  Flowers,  in  rows  of  crockery  vases,  sur- 
round the  garden,  and  border  the  hard  and  smooth  walks  that  inter- 
sect each  other.  Different  kinds  of  palm-trees,  pumaloes,  orange,  lemon, 
&c.,  shrubs  and  plants,  otherwise  ornament  the  grounds.  The  inmates 
of  the  house  can  sit  here  at  the  close  of  the  day,  sip  their  tea  or  coffee, 
smoke  their  cigars,  enjoy  the  scenery,  and  view  the  ever-varying 
movements  of  the  busy  Chinese,  who  are  crossing  and  re-crossing  with 
their  boats,  in  every  possible  direction.  The  lower  part  of  the  house 
contains  the  offices,  and  is  the  place  of  business  and  storage  of  the 
goods. 

While  here,  for  the  first  time,  I  summoned  up  sufficient  resolution 
to  call  upon  my  boy.  According  to  the  custom,  1  cried  out,  in  a 
pretty  strong  tone, 

"Boy!  " 

Immediately  perceiving  that  my  voice  was  much  too  faint,  I  fol- 
lowed it  with  a  louder, 

"Boy!  " 

Waiting  a  few  moments,  without  any  answer,  I  essayed  again,  with 
a  good  sizable  voice, 

"  Boy-e !  " 

But  no  answer.  Recollecting  that  the  house  was  large,  and  that 
it  was  necessary  for  the  sounds  to  penetrate  to  the  furthest  part,  I 
prepared  for  another,  though  a  little  frightened  with  the  noise  I  had 
already  made  ;  for  at  home  there  would  have  been  a  dozen  people  after 
me,  inquiring  what  the  trouble  was  ;  and,  being  naturally  quiet  in  my 
disposition,  it  seemed  inconsistent  to  be  making  such  an  ado  about  a 
cup  of  tea.  However,  I  had  commenced  on  the  disagreeable  under- 
taking, and  the  boy  must  come,  or  I  should  go  after  him,  and  I  might 
not  know  him,  they  all  look  so  much  alike.  Taking  a  full  inspiration, 
I  screamed  out,  in  a  voice  which  reminded  me  of  our  captain  when  he 
was  speaking  a  ship, 

"  Boy  !  " 

I  was  about  repeating  it,  with  the  same  strength,  when  I  heard  the 
bleating  and  drawling  sound  of  "  Sarr,"  wafted  back  in  a  distant 
voice,  as  if  from  the  boat-landing.  His  big,  clumsy  feet  soon  an- 


"  ABSENT    FRIENDS."  87 

nounccd  his  presence ;  and,  as  intelligibly  as  my  knowledge  of  the 
Anglo-Chinese  language  would  admit,  I  gave  him  his  directions  : 

"  Boy,  go  eatchee  two  piecey  tea." 

lie  departed,  and  quickly  returned  with  the  two  cups  of  tea,  and 
following  him  was  another  boy  with  the  milk  and  sugar.  We  drank 
our  tea  and  had  our  cups  replenished  ;  and  I  gave  the  boy  directions 
to  call  me  at  six  in  the  morning.  A  servant  is  here  considered  as 
indispensable  as  a  hat  or  coat,  though,  to  me,  any  one  but  Chinese 
would  seem  more  acceptable.  Their  looks  —  bony,  clumsy  figures, 
shaved  heads,  big  feet,  queue  hanging  down  their  backs,  and  reaching 
nearly  to  the  ground,  wooden  countenances,  long  frocks,  baggy 
trousers,  wrinkled  leggins,  &c.  —  are  all  against  them.  If  one  could 
get  along  without  them,  judging  from  myself,  he  would  sooner  give 
them  their  wages  to  keep  away. 

But  they  must  have  their  six  or  seven  dollars  a  month,  and  are  to 
be  at  your  beck  and  call  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  They  call  you  when 
the  meals  are  ready,  wait  on  you  during  the  meal,  change  your  plate, 
bring  your  coffee,  pass  you  the  various  dishes,  and  stand  behind  your 
chair  to  see  that  you  do  not  want  for  anything  till  you  have  finished. 
Every  person  at  the  table,  children  and  grown  people,  must  be  waited 
on  by  their  own  particular  servant.  If  you  go  to  dine  with  a  friend, 
your  boy  goes  to  wait  on  you,  and  there  he  takes  his  place  behind  your 
chair,  at  the  table. 

I  attended  the  Episcopal  church.  There  were  about  eight  ladies 
and  thirty  gentlemen  present.  They  almost  all  came  in  their  sedan- 
chairs,  carried  by  Chinese  coolies.  It  was  a  queer  sight  to  see  these 
chairs  all  about  the  door,  with  the  coolies  standing  beside  them. 

Monday,  August  2Sth.  —  My  boy  called  me  as  directed,  and  brought 
a  cup  of  coffee  to  my  bedside.  He  polished  my  boots,  and  laid  out  my 
clothes  for  me,  to  put  on  when  I  should  get  up.  There  are  no  female 
servants,  chambermaids,  &c.  ;  therefore  it  devolves  on  the  boy  to  see 
to  the  bed,  washing  apparatus,  and  everything  pertaining  to  the  room, 
lie  does  not  wash  and  sweep  the  floor,  and  do  things  of  that  kind, 
which  belong  to  the  coolies,  a  lower  grade  of  servants.  I  asked  my 
boy  to  do  something  which  happened  to  be  the  work  of  a  cooly,  and 
he  answered, 

"No  can;  that  no  my  pigeon"  (business).  "My  talkee  that 
cooly  man  ;  he  belong  that  pigeon." 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  you  can  do  it  much  quicker  than  to  call  for  the 
cooly." 

"  No  can,  no  can.  I  no  sarvy  that  cooly  man  pigeon.  I  talkee 
he,  —  he  come  chop-chop." 

And  away  he  went,  and  brought  the  cooly. 

A  beautiful  custom  is  here  observed  by  foreigners,  that  of  offering, 
each  day,  at  the  dinner-table,  sentiments  of  remembrance  to  '•  absent 
friends,"  the  last  thing  before  rising  from  the  table.  All  fill  their 
glasses,  and  the  head  of  the  house  proclaims, 

"  Absent  friends !  " 

And  all  then  respond  aloud,  "  Absent  friends,"  and  touch  the 
glasses  to  their  lips.  As  the  friends  may  be  in  America,  or  England, 


88  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

or  scattered  over  the  different  oceans,  it  seems  like  offering  a  slight 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  departed  ones,  and  I  find  that  my  thoughts 
pass  as  readily  to  friends  departed  as  to  those  who  are  only  absent. 
It  is  probable  that  in  this  feeling  others  sympathize.  "With  these 
memories  of  absent  friends,  perhaps  there  are  at  this  time  some  the 
loss  of  whom  the  next  arrival  shall  bring  to  our  knowledge.  At 
the  time  "  Absent  friends  "  is  given,  all  things  else  —  the  laugh,  the 
merry  jokes  —  give  place,  and,  for  the  moment,  a  shade  of  solemnity 
falls  over  the  scene,  as  each  one  seems  giving  utterance  to  his  emotions, 
"  Yes,  —  absent  friends  !  God  protect  and  return  them  to  us." 

Wednesday,  August  &Qth. —  I  arose  at  six  A.  M.,  and  wrote  a  letter 
to  send  by  the  overland  mail,  which  leaves  this  forenoon.  I  would 
gladly  have  avoided  it,  I  felt  such  lassitude  from  the  weather  ;  but  the 
mail  goes  only  once  a  month,  and  write  I  must.  Towards  evening, 
with  Mr.  Meigs  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baylies,  and  with  a  Chinese  crew, 
I  had  an  excursion  in  the  harbor  in  Mr.  Drinker's  boat,  returning 
about  dark.  It  was  very  pleasant  to  pass  among  the  vessels,  and 
refreshing  to  feel  and  breathe  the  cool  air  from  the  water. 

In  the  evening  I  read  from  Sir  John  Simpson's  interesting  overland 
journey  around  the  world.  He  went  from  London  to  Nova  Scotia, 
through  the  British  dominions  to  the  Pacific,  then  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  then  to  Siberia,  and  across  Europe  home. 

I  have  now  seen  one  specimen  of  the  small  feet  of  the  Chinese. 
Every  day  an  old  woman,  seated  on  the  sidewalk,  employs  her  time 
in  sewing.  Her  feet  are  not  larger  than  those  of  a  child  of  four  years, 
and  have  little  pointed  shoes  on  them.  In  passing,  I  fancy  they 
belong  to  some  little  child  concealed  about  her  dress.  This  custom, 
they  say,  originated  with  the  family  of  an  emperor  in  olden  time. 
Having  a  daughter  born  with  club-feet,  he  commanded  that  the  feet  of 
all  females  born  from  that  time  should  be  compressed  ;  and  since  then 
the  custom  has  been  rigidly  observed.  Another  account  is  that  a 
daughter  of  the  emperor  being  born  with  club-feet,  it  became  fashion- 
able for  the  females  to  try  to  imitate  them  by  compressing  the  feet 
with  bandages,  and  eventually,  small  feet  being  preferred,  the  fashion 
to  make  them  as  small  as  possible  became  established. 

The  lower  classes,  however,  do  not  adopt  it  their  feet  being  of  the 
usual  size,  which  they  find  necessary  to  keep  so  as  long  as  they  are 
obliged  to  work  for  a  living.  The  small  feet  belong  to  ladies  who  are 
not  necessitated  often  to  use  them.  When  they  go  out,  they  are  car- 
ried in  sedan-chairs.  The  woman  spoken  of  above,  I  presume,  was 
formerly  one  of  this  class.  She  has  the  appearance  of  having  seen 
better  days.  She  daily  occupies  the  same  place  on  the  sidewalk,  sit- 
ing upon  a  low  stool,  and  doing  job  mending  for  the  Chinese.  She 
is  always  busy  with  her  sewing,  and  rarely  raises  her  head  to  see  what 
is  going  on  around.  But  if  1  send  you  these  few  dates  I  must  close, 
hoping  that  you  are  sufficiently  recovered  to  go  to  N. 

Yours,  &c.,        B,  L.  B. 


DESCRIPTION    OF   HONG-KONG.  89 


CHAPTER    X. 

DESCRIPTION    OF     HONG-KONG. WALK    THROUGH   THE    CITY. PEOPLE. 

DIFFERENT    NATIONS. LETTER     TO     SISTER    H. TYPHOON:     ITS     VIO- 
LENCE AND  EFFECTS. DISTINCTIONS  AMONG  SERVANTS. SEDAN  CHAIRS. 

TRICKS    OF   CHINESE   BOATMEN. 

HONG-KONG  is  an  island,  and  not,  as  is  the  general  impression,  a 
Chinese  city.  It  is  a  British  colony  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Chinese 
coast.  It  was  Chinese  until  the  treaty  after  the  war  ceded  it  to  Eng- 
land. At  that  time  it  was  inhabited  only  by  a  few  fishermen  and 
pirates.  It  is  an  elevation  of  barren  mountains,  with  scarcely  any 
vegetation,  and  is  about  twenty-live  miles  in  circumference  and  eight 
in  diameter.  Its  shores  are  generally  bold,  and  the  water  deep  near 
the  coast.  There  are,  however,  several  spots  with  declivities  sufficiently 
gradual  for  the  locations  of  cities.  The  English  government  has  taken 
possession  of  these,  and  erected  fortifications  and  barracks,  where  they 
keep  small  garrisons  of  troops.  Victoria  is  the  principal,  and  the 
destination  of  all  vessels  that  are  bound  for  Hong-Kong.  It.  is  a  depot 
or  central  station  for  vessels  from  all  countries  when  in  this  quarter  of 
the  world.  In  fact,  Hong-Kong  is  Victoria,  and  Victoria  Hong-Kong, 
though  strictly  speaking  Hong-Kong  is  the  country,  and  Victoria  its 
capital. 

Victoria  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  built  on  the  base  and  on 
the  inclination  of  a  conspicuous  mountain  which  overlooks  the  har- 
bor. It  extends  about  two  miles  along  the  edge  of  the  water,  and 
back  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  It  has  only 
one  large  and  principal  street,  which  is  near  the  water  and  encircles 
the  island.  This  is  the  only  street  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  There 
are  several  others  parallel  with  it,  and  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  one 
above  the  other.  The  small  cross-streets  uniting  them  are  steep,  and 
at  some  places  have  flights  of  steps  by  which  to  ascend  and  descend. 
Taking  the  zig-zag  streets  in  their  proper  order,  I  believe  the  highest 
houses  may  be  reached  with  a  carriage.  The  houses  are  generally  of 
two  or  three  stories,  though  many  at  the  outer  part  of  the  city,  called 
bungaloes,  are  of  one  story,  and  look  like  cottages.  Open  to  the 
country  on  the  west  of  the  city  you  will  see  the  steep  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, with  only  here  and  there  a  poverty-stricken  Chinaman's  cabin. 
The  ground  is  covered  with  rocks,  a  little  grass,  and,  higher  up,  with 
8* 


90  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

brush.  The  white  buildings  conspicuous  here  and  there  are  the  police 
stations.  Following  the  road  to  the  cast,  you  enter  the  Chinese  part 
of  the  city,  a  mass  of  low  buildings,  shabby  and  unpainted,  with 
the  exception  of  a  fow  blocks  of  European-built  houses.  A  little  fur- 
ther along,  and  you  are  in  the  central  part  of  the  Chinese  quarter. 
Here  are  a  number  of  small  sailor  taverns,  every  evening  lively  with 
the  fiddle,  drum,  tambourine,  and  dancing.  Looking  in  at  the  door 
of  the  front  room,  if  the  screen  is  removed,  can  be  discovered  a  party 
of  sailors,  of  all  nations,  —  black  and  white,  —  with  a  sprinkling  of 
English  and  Ceylon  soldiers  from  the  garrison,  enjoying  themselves 
after  their  own  fashion.  Early  in  the  evening  they  are  in  a  state  of 
high  glee  ;  later,  their  spirits  begin  to  flag,  and  they  have  to  replenish 
them  from  a  well-stored  bar  at  the  back  part  of  the  room  ;  still  later, 
some  of  them  become  so  /ou>-sp5rited  that  the  interposition  of  their 
comrades  is  needed  to  induce  them  away,  and  occasionally  the  police 
have  to  render  their  assistance.  In  the  long  line  of  square  windows*, 
without  glass,  over  the  Chinese  shops,  sit  a  certain  class  of  Chinese 
women,  ogling  and  looking  out  on  the  passers-by. 

Following  the  road  as  it  winds  around  and  ascends  upon  higher 
ground,  we  come  to  the  European  part,  the  central  portion  of 
Victoria.  On  the  left  is  a  row  of  Chinamen's  shops,  beyond  which, 
along  the  edge  of  the  harbor,  are  occasionally  the  large  houses  of 
Europeans,  or  foreigners.  On  the  right  are  blocks  of  European  build- 
ings, rising  one  above  another,  and  among  them  may  be  recognized 
Mr.  Bush's,  the  U.  S.  A.  Consulate,  over  which  the  American  flag  is 
waving,  Mr.  Rawle's,  Dr.  Morrison,  the  American  missionary's,  and 
others  of  English  residents.  Behind  these,  a  little  distance  up  tho 
inclined  plane,  the  mountain  rises  abruptly,  and  to  the  eye  nearly  per- 
pendicular, and  terminating  in  a  peak  near  three  thousand  feet  high. 
A  scanty  vegetation  of  grass  and  brambles  there  appears,  but  there  is 
little  else  than  rocks,  some  of  which  seem  to  hang  by  nothing,  and 
may,  eventually,  becoming  loosened,  roll  down,  and  cut  their  way 
through  the  settlements  to  the  water. 

Passing  along,  we  come  to  the  principal  business  part  of  the  city. 
On  the  right  is  the  hotel,  with  blocks  of  houses  occupied  mostly  by 
English  and  foreigners,  auctioneers,  apothecaries,  the  club-house  of 
the  merchants,  &c.,  and  back  short  streets  of  Chinese  mechanics.  On 
the  left  are  Messrs.  Rawle,  Drinker  &  Co.,  Messrs.  Dent  &  Co.,  and 
others,  the  Bank,  and  some  retail  stores.  Continuing  along  the  water 
towards  the  east,  after  a  short  interval  we  see  the  military  quarters, 


THE   TYPHOON.  91 

which  enclose  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  showy  stone  barracks, 
parade-ground,  officers'  residences,  in  elevated  positions,  the  church, 
and  other  buildings.  Half  a  rnile  further  is  a  fine  block  of  buildings 
occupied  by  Messrs.  McKean  &  Co.,  Gov.  Bonham,  and  others.  Then 
come  the  hospital,  ship-yard,  and  Messrs.  Jardine  &  Co.'s  large  mer- 
chant establishment.  And  thus  the  settlement  of  Victoria  is  strung 
out  for  two  or  three  miles  along  the  shore. 

The  population,  I  should  think,  might  be  twenty  thousand,  including 
Chinese.  I  should  say  that  only  a  small  proportion  was  European. 
Almost  every  nation  is  represented  here,  though  there  are  only  a  few 
of  each.  I  can  enumerate  with  the  English,  American  and  Chinese, 
the  Spanish,  French,  Portuguese,  Persians,  Bengalese,  Javanese,  and 
Manilla  Indians,  the  German,  Italian,  Russian,  Danish,  Swiss,  Dutch, 
Belgian,  Pole,  and  the  Arab,  Turk,  Armenian,  Tartar,  Siamese,  Afri- 
can, and  South  American. 

Hong-Kony,  August  31s£. —  It  has  been  raining  hard  all  day.  At 
one  of  the  Chinese  shops,  where  I  was  making  some  inquiries,  I  saw  a 
Chinaman  who  spoke  good  English,  and  appeared  so  polite  that  I 
stopped  a  while,  and  entered  into  conversation  with  him.  He  told  me 
his  name  was  Ayoii ;  that  he  had  lived  two  years  in  Boston  ;  that 
formerly  he  was  comprador  to  Mr.  Gushing  at  Canton,  and  after- 
wards lived  with  him  in  America.  Preferring  his  own  country,  he 
returned,  and  now  has  a  large  alum  establishment,  in  which,  he  says, 
he  is  doing  a  good  business  ;  he  added,  that  a  Chinaman  who  speaks 
both  English  and  Chinese  can  make  "  plenty  money  "  in  China. 

This  evening  I  was  present  at  a  dinner-party  given  by  Mr.  W.  at 
the  hotel.  He  called  it  a  christening  party  for  his  little  child.  There 
were  twenty  or  thirty  present,  of  whom  a  few  were  ladies.  Dinner 
was  served  at  six,  and  supper  at  eleven  p.  M.  Toasts  were  freely  given 
and  drank,  and  our  company  so  composed  of  different  nations  that 
there  was  much  mirth  and  humor.  I  was  the  only  American,  and,  the 
stars  and  stripes  being  toasted  by  an  Englishman,  I  of  course  responded 
to  the  everlasting  friendship  of  the  two  countries.  Songs  were  sung, 
and  at  twelve  the  party  broke  up.  But  a  storm  was  raging  without, 
and  had  increased  to  a  typhoon.  We  hardly  stepped  out  the  door 
before  we  retreated  within  again.  It  was  raining  and  blowing  in 
great  gusts,  and  the  air  was  of  Egyptian  darkness.  Glass  was  break- 
ing, blinds  slamming,  boards  rattling,  tiles  falling  from  the  roofs,  and 
bricks  from  the  chimneys,  and  broken  shutters  were  falling  into  -the 
street.  It  sounded  as  if  everything  was  unloosed  and  in  motion.  The 


92  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

blinds  and  windows  seemed  ready  to  break  in  with  a  crash  ;  missiles 
were  clattering  over  the  house  in  different  directions,  and  within  was 
occasionally  hoard  the  falling  of  glass  or  earthenware.  Several  times 
we  essayed  to  go  home,  but  our  eyes  could  not  penetrate  the  blackness, 
and  it  was  considered  unsafe  to  make  any  further  attempt.  Mr.  W. 
very  kindly  provided  us  all  with  sleeping  apartments,  and  made  us 
welcome  for  the  night. 

Friday,  September  1st. —  *  *  *  *  *  The  night  has 
been  fearful,  and  one  that  I  shall  not  soon  forget.  I  could  not  sleep 
in  the  noise  of  so  much  clatter  and  crash  till  past  three  o'clock.  The 
house  itself  shook  so  that  several  times  I  was  on  the  point  of  spring- 
ing up,  thinking  that  the  roof  was  actually  being  wrenched  off.  Every- 
thing was  made  as  secure  as  possible,  and  yet  there  was  a  constant  din 
of  cracking  and  falling  glass.  The  wind  gathered  and  groaned  as  if 
with  herculean  efforts  to  level  all  with  the  ground.  Again  and 
again  it  came  with  increased  power.  Sometimes  it  seemed  as  if  an 
immense  serpent  had  encircled  the  building  in  its  folds,  and  that  the 
timbers,  one  after  another,  were  giving  way,  and  the  sides  of  the  house 
being  crushed  in  its  fearful  embrace.  Amid  the  raging  of  the  storm 
I  at  length  fell  asleep,  and  dreamed  that  I  was  in  a  terrible  tempest  at 
sea.  I  thought  the  vessel  was  driven  with  such  force  that  it  skimmed 
over  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  then,  leaving  the  sea,  flew  through 
the  air  over  the  land,  coming  in  contact  with  the  hills,  and  bounding 
along  like  a  balloon  across  the  valleys. 

I  arose  this  morning  at  eight,  and,  in  returning  home,  was  wet  by  a 
driving  rain.  It  was  so  dark  at  Mr.  Drinker's  that  we  had  lights  on 
the  table  at  breakfast,  although  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  All 
here  had  been  terrified,  and  many  fears  entertained  for  the  safety  of 
the  house.  The  doors  and  windows  were  barricaded,  and  required  at 
times  the  united  strength  of  all.  The  garden  was  in  ruins.  Plantain- 
trees  were  broken  down,  other  trees  nearly  destroyed,  and  flower-pots 
were  strewed  about  and  broken  up.  The  water  in  the  harbor  had 
torn  and  washed  up  into  the  garden  large  stones  from  the  sea-wall ; 
the  walks  had  caved  away,  &c.  I  walked  out  with  a  friend  to  see 
what  havoc  had  been  made  elsewhere.  We  found  the  shore  lined  with 
wrecks  of  Chinese  junks.  Vessels  were  dismasted,  and  some  were  on 
shore.  The  bodies  of  drowned  Chinamen  were  being  carried  away  on 
boards.  Sides  of  buildings  were  blown  out,  and  the  water  near  the 
shore  was  full  of  spars  and  drift-wood  of  various  kinds.  The  slight 
bamboo  houses  were  in  ruins,  while  those  more  strongly  built  exhibited, 


HONG-KONG. EFFECTS    OF    THE   TYPHOON.  93 

more  or  less,  evidences  of  the  storm.  Capts.  Watson  and  McLacklan 
walked  down  the  shore,  looking  for  their  vessels,  but  could  not  any- 
where identify  them.  Last  night  at  the  hotel  they  were  quite  anxious 
to  get  off  to  them,  but  no  boat  could  be  hired  to  hazard  the  attempt, 
and  the  Chinese  boats  were  all  on  the  opposite  shore.  Captain  Clark- 
son,  of  the  "  Chicora,"  is  here  this  eve.  He  saved  eighteen  China- 
men from  a  boat  containing  eighty,  which  drifted  upon  him  in  the 
night.  To  save  one  of  them  he  descended  by  a  rope  into  the  water, 
and,  by  a  rope  "fastened  to  the  body  of  the  drowning  man,  drew  him 
up.  They  had  specie  and  opium  on  board,  all  of  which  was  lost.  Mr. 
Morse,  supercargo  for  the  "  Chicora,"  called  this  evening.  He  was 
formerly  at  Rev.  Mr.  A.'s  school,  at  N.,  Mass.,  and  I  had  not  met 
him,  I  think,  for  fifteen  years. 

Monday,  September  kth.  —  Mr.  Drinker  returned  from  Macao,  and 
had  much  to  say  about  the  great  damage,  loss  of  life  and  property, 
by  the  typhoon,  at  other  ports.  Dr.  Morrison  was  saying,  last  evening, 
that  he  had  sent  out  twenty-six  policemen,  who  were  on  the  sick  list, 
to  take  an  airing  in  a  boat  around  the  island.  They  were  overtaken 
by  the  typhoon,  and  all  drowned  except  four. 

Mr.  Winslow,  formerly  of  Maiden,  Mass.,  reports  to-night  the  loss 
of  a  vessel  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  with  fifty  thousand  dollars 
in  specie  on  board.  It  went  to  pieces  during  the  typhoon.  Mr.  W. 
is  engaged  in  saving  what  he  can  from  the  wreck,  for  the  owner. 
When  he  arrived  the  pirates  were  there  pillaging,  as  is  usual  on  such 
occasions  ;  but  they  ran  off  over  the  hills  when  he  appeared.  Some 
of  the  money  had  been  scattered  and  washed  ashore  among  the  rocks. 
Mr.  W.  laid  chase  to  seven  or  eight  piratical  junks,  loaded  with  cotton 
goods  which  they  had  taken  from  vessels,  but  he  could  not  capture 
them.  Their  decks  were  covered  with  the  goods,  which  were  there 
drying.  Mr.  W.  lost  his  own  vessel  in  the  harbor  on  Thursday  night, 
by  the  typhoon. 

The  "  Sam  Russell,"  from  New  York,  came  in  to-day  ;  and  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  reading  an  American  paper  dated  May  31st.  This 
vessel  experienced  nothing  of  the  typhoon,  but  the  winds  were  con- 
stantly changing,  probably  in  consequence  of  it. 

Tuesday,  August  0>th.  —  We  have  more  news  of  the  effects  of  the 
typhoon.  Mr.  W.  says  that  to-day  he  passed,  in  his  boat,  numbers 
of  dead  bodies  flouting  in  the  water.  Most  of  them  were  Chinese,  but 
there  wore  some  Malays,  blacks,  and  Europeans.  The  U.  S.  ship 
"  Plymouth  ''  saved  a  vessel  and  cargo  that  had  gone  ashore  at  a 


94  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

Chinese  port.  Several  hundred  natives  were  assembling  off  to  capture 
her  in  the  night,  when  the  "  Plymouth  "  put  men  aboard  of  and 
saved  her.  She  had  on  board  six  hundred  chests  of  opium,  with  many 
thousand  dollars  in  silver,  of  which  the  "  Plymouth  "  has  two  thirds 


Wednesday,  August  &lh.  —  In  making  a  professional  visit  to-day, 
my  boy  expressed  much  reluctance  at  taking  a  case  of  instruments. 
He  wished  to  get  a  cooly  to  carry  them  ;  but  I  objected,  as  one  ser- 
vant was  enough,  and  I  gave  him  in  addition  my  umbrella  and  gloves 
to  carry.  Servants  do  not  like  to  do  anything  that  strictly  belongs  to 
those  of  a  lower  order.  My  boy  does  not  like  to  take  a  bundle  or 
package,  because  it  is  the  business  of  a  cooly  to  bear  burthens.  I 
gave  him  a  letter  to  take  to  a  gentleman,  and  observed  that  he  handed 
it  to  a  cooly,  who  carried  it. 

A  lady  seems  very  dependent  when  she  is  obliged  to  send  a  servant 
to  call  two  others  for  the  purpose  of  moving  a  rocking-chair,  or  to  put 
another  in  its  place.  I  should  not  have  felt  myself  disgraced  had  she 
asked  me  ;  and  I  could  have  done  it  while  she  was  giving  directions  to 
the  servant,  although  I  might  have  lost  caste  with  her  by  so  menial  a 
service. 

Some  think  it  strange  that  I  do  not  take  a  sedan-chair  in  prefer- 
ence to  walking  ;  and  they  advise  me  not  to  expose  myself  in  the  sun 
in  the  middle  of  the  day.  It  is  customary  for  Europeans  to  ride  in  a 
chair  when  they  go  any  distance.  Two  coolies  are  generally  sufficient, 
but  a  heavy  person  requires  four.  Doctors,  in  visiting  their  patients, 
ride  in  chairs  ;  though  Dr.  M.  usually  appears  in  a  low  carriage, 
drawn  by  a  pair  of  handsome  Chusan  ponies.  His  boy  rides  with 
him,  holding  an  umbrella  over  his  head,  and  takes  care  of  the  horses 
in  his  absence,  being  obliged  continually,  with  a  cloth,  to  drive  off  the 
flies  which  torment  them. 

We  encountered  to-day  one  of  the  many  tricks  of  the  Chinese  boat- 
men, which  shows  their  readiness  to  impose  on  foreigners.  The 
"  Cleone  "  sailing  to-day  for  Shanghae,  with  Mi1,  and  Mrs.  Taylor,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jenkins,  missionaries,  and  Mr.  Baseett,  when  Mr.  B.  went 
on  board,  Mr.  R.  and  I  accompanied  him.  I  had  several  times,  when 
accompanying  different  ones  on  board  ship,  or  on  little  excursions,  paid 
the  boatmen,  who  came  to  me  for  it,  supposing  it  was  rulable  for  each 
one  to  pay  for  himself,  or  that  it  had  been  forgotten  by  the  person  who 
hired  the  boat. 

Having  since  learned  that  when  one  hires  a  boat  he  pays  for  it, 


HONG-KONG.  —  CHINESE    BOATMEN'S   DISHONESTY.  95 

whether  one  or  many  go  with  him,  I  thought  I  would  observe  if  the 
boatmen  were  paid,  and  whether  they  came  to  me  afterwards.  Twenty- 
five  cents  is  the  regular  fare,  though  a  Chinaman  pays  them  in  their 
coin  about  two  cents. 

Having  remained  on  board  about  ten  minutes,  as  we  were  about  to 
come  off,  I  noticed,  unbeknown  to  the  boatmen,  Mr.  B.  pay  them  a 
rupee,  which  is  three  or  four  cents  less  than  half  a  dollar.  On  land- 
ing the  boatmen  came  running  after  us,  and  crying  out  for  their  pay. 
I  shook  my  head  at  them,  but  they  continued  running  by  the  side  of 
us,  and  crossing  in  front,  with  outstretched  hands  and  gesticulations, 
crying  the  harder, 

"  Pay  my  money  !  pay  my  money  !  " 

A  stranger  would  have  supposed  that  we  were  cheating  them  out  of 
their  dues.  I  stopped  and  told  them  to  go  back  ;  but  that  did  no 
good.  Finally,  I  asked  them  how  much  they  wanted,  and  they  held 
up  one  linger  and  said, 

"  One  dollar  !  " 

I  then  told  them  I  had  seen  Mr.  B.  pay  them  on  board,  and  asked 
them  how  many  times  they  wanted  to  be  paid.  They  seemed  much 
chagrined  at  their  detection,  and  slunk  out  of  sight. 

In  trading  with  the  Chinese  they  generally  ask  double  what  they 
intend  to  take  for  their  goods,  as  all  learn  after  a  little  experience  with 
them. 

Towards  evening  I  accompanied  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  on  board  the 
"  Sam  Russell."  This  is  the  most  beautiful  vessel  that  I  have  yet 
seen.  Capt.  Palmer  showed  us  about  very  politely,  and  gave  us  a 
treat  of  cake,  &c.,  in  the  cabin.  The  state-rooms  were  very  hand- 
somely gilded,  and  richly  furnished. 

To-day  the  barometers  have  suddenly  fallen  ;  and  the  harbor-mas- 
ter, according  to  custom,  has  sent  to  all  the  vessels  notice  of  the  indi- 
cations of  an  approaching  typhoon,  thus  giving  them  the  necessary 
warning  to  be  prepared  for  it. 

Sunday,  August  10th.  —  I  went  this  morning  to  the  hotel,  and 
breakfasted  with  Mr.  R.  At  dinner,  at  Mr.  D.'s,  there  were  nine 
masters  of  vessels,  making  in  all  about  twenty  persons.  They  were 
Americans,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  a  meeting  with  so  many  of  their 
countrymen.  Capt.  Nickels,  of  the  "  John  Q.  Adams,"  from  Bos- 
ton, came  in  this  morning.  His  arrival  with  letters  and  papers  from 
America  made  the  day  an  eventful  one.  I  was  much  disappointed  in 


96  CI1INA    AND    MANILLA. 

receiving  nothing  myself,  but  accepted,  with  much  pleasure,  an  invi- 
tation to  take  part  in  looking  over  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.'s  large  package. 

Wednesday,  August  1G/A.  —  In  looking  over  my  clothing  to-day,  I 
found  my  coats,  pants,  colored  and  white  gloves,  &c.,  covered  with 
mould  and  mildew.  I  set  my  boy  to  cleaning  them,  and  he  went  about 
it  as  though  he  thought  he  had  engaged  in  an  endless  job.  The  air  is 
BO  damp  here  that  trunks,  hats,  &c.,  will  mould,  or  articles  exposed 
merely  in  the  room.  My  instruments  begin  to  look  as  if  the  small- 
pox would  soon  exhibit  itself  upon  them.  Dr.  M.  informs  me  that  they 
will  rust  and  spot  in  spite  of  every  precaution,  and  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble here  to  keep  any  kind  of  instruments  in  order. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

LEAVING    FOR     CANTON.  FISHING    CRAFTS. ISLANDS,    RIVERS,     FORTS, 

AND      PAGODAS,      ETC. WHAMPOA. THE      CHOP. BOSTON     JACK. 

ARRIVAL    IN    CANTON. APPEARANCE    OF    THE     CITY. MOSQUITO    AN- 
NOYANCES. 

FRIDAY,  August  15/A.  —  I  stopped  with  Mr.  R.,  at  the  hotel,  for 
the  few  last  nights,  and  this  morning  assisted  him  off  in  the  "  Sam 
Russell."  He  persisted  very  strongly  in  my  going  with  him  to  Can- 
ton, and  I  partly  promised  to  go  by  the  "  John  Q.  Adams,"  and  there 
meet  him. 

In  the  afternoon  I  concluded  to  go,  and  here  I  am  this  evening,  at 
twelve  o'clock,  on  board  the  "  John  Q.  Adams,"  sailing  up  among 
numerous  islands,  to  Whampoa,  the  anchoring-ground  for  vessels, 
where  we  take  small  boats  for  Canton,  a  few  miles  distant. 

We  came  on  board  about  ten  o'clock  this  evening,  loading  a  Chinese 
boat  up  to  the  brim  with  ourselves,  boys,  and  luggage,  and  had  quite 
a  merry  time  of  it.  We  had  Capt.  Nickels,  Mr.  Ingols,  Mr.  Oilman, 
three  Chinese  boys,  and  trunks  for  the  whole  party.  Mr.  D.  and  Mr. 
M.  accompanied  us  to  the  landing,  and  saw  us  off.  When  leaving  the 
pier  the  water  was  rough,  and  tossed  the  boat  up  and  down  several 
feet.  All  were  on  board  except  Capt.  N.,  who  was  awaiting  a  favor- 
able opportunity.  He  was  a  heavy  man,  and  when  the  dancing  boat 
came  into  the  *ight  position  he  gave  a  jump  ;  and  the  moment  his 


THE    BOGUE   FORTS.  97 

feet  struck,  they  went  through  its  frail  deck.  There  was  a  great 
crash,  but  no  one  was  hurt,  and  no  water  came  into  the  boat.  All 
laughed  heartily  —  we  at  the  captain,  and  he  at  the  weakness  of 
the  "  miserable  Chinese  deck,"  which  was  constructed  of  thin  boards. 

Saturday,  Ibth.  —  When  I  arose,  at  half-past  seven,  we  were  out  of 
sight  of  Hong-Kong.  We  sailed  along  with  a  fair  breeze,  and  most 
of  the  way  within  sight  of  land,  all  of  which  was  very  high,  and 
appeared  to  be  volcanic.  The  water  was  quite  yellow  from  its  mud. 

In  the  first  thirty  miles  we  passed  whole  fleets,  or  one  might  almost 
say  myriads,  of  fishing-crafts,  many  of  them  having  piratical-looking 
crews,  into  whose  hands  I  should  not  like  to  fall.  They  live  almost 
constantly  on  the  water,  their  boats  constituting  their  dwellings,  and 
usually  containing  each  a  whole  family.  Those  which  I  saw  in  motion 
had  two  or  three  men  rowing,  and  a  woman,  with  a  child  tied  to  her 
back,  sculling  the  boat  behind  —  the  child  contented  with  its  lot,  and 
its  head  flopping  from  side  to  side,  according  to  the  motions  of  its 
mother.  Other  boats  at  anchor  had  large  crews  on  board. 

The  forts  at  the  Bogue  (entrance  of  the  river)  looked  quite  pretty, 
appearing,  in  the  distance,  like  rows  of  swallow-nests.  As  we  drew 
nearer  they  resembled  private  residences,  the  fortified  walls  being 
the  boundaries  of  the  grounds.  Before  the  vessel  could  pass  up  the 
river,  the  captain  was  obliged  to  send  to  one  of  the  forts  and  obtain 
a  permit  from  the  custom-house  authorities.  This  done,  we  went  on 
our  way  again.  There  were  twelve  or  fifteen  of  these  forts,  all  built 
on  the  slopes  of  the  mountains,  facing  the  river,  and  in  form  resem- 
bling a  badly-shaped  letter  D  ;  the  straight  line  of  the  D  making  one 
border  of  the  river,  while  the  circular  part  extended  back  upon  the 
heights.  The  mountains  and  islands  are  all  of  peculiar  shapes,  and 
receive  their  names  from  what  they  most  resemble,  as  they  rise  out  of 
the  water.  One  is  Tiger  Island,  another  Camel  Island,  &c.  &c.  When 
the  pagodas  appeared  in  sight,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant,  I  began 
to  realize  that  we  are  in  China.  The  first  view  of  them,  as  they  tow- 
ered up  behind  the  hills  in  the  distance,  was  very  imposing.  We 
watched  them  with  much  interest,  they  being  the  principal  evidences 
that  the  ground  they  stood  on  was  Chinese. 

The  masts  of  the  vessels  at  Whampoa  next  appeared  in  sight.  The 
scenery  —  large  flats  of  green  rice-fields,  the  plantain-trees  on  the  banks, 
and  the  hills  and  mountains  beyond  —  as  we  approached  Wham- 
poa, was  beautiful.  The  vessels  were  displaying  their  different  flags  ; 
Chinese  boats  were  crossing  and  re-crossing  in  every  direction,  and  the 
9 


yO  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

setting  sun  was  shedding  its  gilded  light  on  everything  around,  giving 
to  the  low,  flat  island,  covered  with  rich,  green-like  velvet,  the  pago- 
das and  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  a  touch  of  enchantment.  As  we 
entered  among  the  vessels,  Chinese  boats  flocked  thickly  around.  Some 
had  various  kinds  of  goods  and  wares  to  sell  ;  some  had  women  who 
wished  to  engage  washing,  or  to  supply  vegetables,  eggs,  meat,  &c. 
During  the  evening  we  went  ashore  and  visited  the  bowling  and  bil- 
liard saloon,  the  only  European  building  here  ;  but  the  heat  was  so 
oppressive  that  we  were  glad  to  get  aboard  of  our  vessel  again. 

It  is  now  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  and  I  am  at  Whampoa,  within 
twelve  miles  of  Canton,  in  a  heathen  land,  among  strangers,  not  know- 
ing what  I  shall  do,  or  where  I  shall  be  the  next  hour.  I  can  scarcely 
realize  that  I  am  so  far  from  home  and  friends,  and  surrounded  by 
people  whose  sole  object  is  money,  and  who  can  have  very  little  friend- 
ship for  me,  further  than  adds  to  their  own  advantage.  The  best  and 
only  home  that  I  have  is  this  vessel,  in  which  I  have  had  but  one 
day's  living,  and  a  short  acquaintance.  I  am  something  like  an  out- 
cast, but  am  still  myself,  wherever  I  am.  The  world's  machinery  is 
still  in  motion  ;  and  I,  as  one  little  wheel  connected  with  it,  must  per- 
form my  part,  however  small  that  part  may  be.  I  can  lay  no  plans 
for  the  morrow,  but  must  be  governed  by  circumstances  as  they  tran- 
spire. 

Sunday,  August  Yjlh.  —  I  arose  this  morning  unrefreshed  by  sleep, 
which  a  few  mosquitoes  prevented  by  their  impetuous  attacks. 

Whampoa  derives  its  importance  from  its  being  the  anchorage  for 
vessels  bound  to  Canton.  The  river,  in  places,  is  shallow,  and  ships 
generally  come  to  anchor  here,  and  send  their  cargoes  up  to  Canton 
by  small  vessels.  All  foreigners  residing  here  live  on  board  of  vessels 
moored  in  the  stream.  There  are  no  hotels,  or  other  than  Chinese 
houses,  on  shore,  as  they  could  be  guaranteed  no  safety. 

By  invitation  from  Mr.  Hunt,  we  went  off  to  his  "  chop  "  at  three 
p.  M.,io  dine,  —  Mr.  Ingols,  Dr.  S.,  and  myself.  The  chop  is  a  kind  of 
floating  store ;  or,  in  other  words,  a  vessel  fitted  up  with  a  roof, 
windows,  &c.,  something  like  a  house,  and  is  anchored  in  the  stream, 
to  supply  vessels  with  provisions.  It  was  filled  with  all  sorts  of  ship- 
stores,  and  several  large  guns  were  on  deck,  for  use,  in  case  of 
emergency.  A  flight  of  steps  extended  over  its  side,  reaching  near  the 
water's  edge ;  and  boats  lay  fastened  all  around,  reminding  me  of  a 
country  store,  with  the  carriages  of  purchasers  in  front.  These  boats 
are  Chinese,  and  are  used  on  the  water,  as  cabs  are  on  land  —  three 


CANTON. BOSTON   JACK.  99 

or  four  Chinamen,  or  the  whole  family,  living  on  board,  and  holding 
themselves  at  your  service.  The  physicians  here  have  offices  in  the 
same  way.  From  this  chop  we  were  rowed  to  another,  his  dwelling- 
house.  This  was  fitted  up  in  a  similar  manner,  only  the  inside  had 
rooms  like  those  of  a  house.  Here  at  dinner  we  met  Captain  Graves, 

Dr.  S.,  several  other  ship-masters,  and  Rev.  Mr.  L ,  a  missionary, 

from  New  York.     I  was  much  pleased  with  Mr.  L ;  he  seemed  so 

different  from  my  views  of  the  generality  of  missionaries,  who,  I  sup- 
posed, must  necessarily  be  characterized  by  long,  gloomy  faces,  and 
sanctimonious  expressions.  After  dinner  I  amused  myself  in  teasing 
(though  at  a  distance)  Mr.  Hunt's  large  bull-dog,  which  is  kept 
chained  on  the  roof  to  guard  against  the  Chinese.  We  next  visited 
Mr.  Humphries'  chop,  and  returned  to  our  own  vessel.  I  then  took 
a  boat,  went  to  the  "  T.  W.  Sears,"  calling  for  Captain  G.  ;  and,  not 
finding  him,  I  went  to  the  "  Sam  Russell,"  and  saw  Captain  Palmer. 
Met  there  Messrs.  R.  and  Kellog,  and  concluded  to  go  with  them 
to  Canton  to-morrow  morning. 

Canton,  September  18tk. 

MY  DEAR  PARENTS  :  At  nine  this  morning,  with  Messrs.  R.  and  K., 
I  started  in  a  sampan  for  Canton.  The  distance  is  about  ten  miles, 
and  occupied  our  four  boatmen  three  hours,  for  which  we  paid  them 
two  dollars.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  mode  of  travelling,  especially  in 
this  warm  weather.  An  inclined  back  to  our  seat  permitted  us  to 
rest,  while  we  could  look  out  ahead  and  on  both  sides,  and  observe  the 
country.  About  a  mile  above  Whampoa  we  called  at  "  Boston  Jack's." 
This  is  a  Chinaman,  an  acquaintance  that  my  companions  had 
made  in  passing  before.  "  Boston  Jack  "  is  familiarly  known  to  the 
European  population  as  a  kind  of  interpreter  and  furnisher  of  provi- 
sions for  vessels,  and  a  commissioner  to  provide  servants,  coolies-,  and 
to  make  purchases  of  various  Chinese  articles.  He  was  formerly  a 
pilot,  and  is  still  connected  with  that  business,  furnishing  pilots,  &c. ; 
and  is  ready  to  do  any  kind  of  business  between  the  foreigners  and 
Chinese.  He  is  said  to  be  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  treated 
us  to  beer,  and  gave  us  some  to  take  on  the  way.  He  had  much  to 
say  of  his  son  who  lives  in  New  York,  and  was  very  polite,  inviting  us 
to  call  again,  &c. 

We  passed,  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  eight  or  ten  forts,  and  several 
pagodas.  On  both  sides,  where  the  tide-water  had  receded,  women 
were  wading  in  the  mud,  gathering  shell-fish.  They  wore  large, 
shield-like  hats  of  braided  bamboo,  and  pants  stripped  up.  Most  of 
them  had  a  child  slung  to  their  backs,  and  a  basket  on  one  arm.  As 
they  went  slowly  along,  they  thrust  the  other  hand  into  the  mud, 
catching  the  small  shrimps  wherever  they  could  feel  them. 
The  scenery  on  each  side  of  the  river  is  very  pretty,  but  not  much 


lUU  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

unlike  that  of  other  rivers.  Tombs  were  frequently  to  be  seen  on  the 
slopes  of  the  hills.  The  country  looked  green  and  fresh  with  vegeta- 
tion, and  groves  of  olive  and  plantain  trees,  here  and  there,  divei>ilied 
the  monotony  of  the  open  expanse  of  rice-fields.  The  banks,  generally 
low,  and  spreading  out  into  lower  flats,  required  the  interposition  of 
dikes,  to  prevent  too  frequent  inundation  from  freshets.  Itow-boats 
and  junks  were  passing  in  different  directions.  Our  boat  contrived  to 
get  up  a  race  with  another,  which  was  bound  in  the  same  direction. 
The  men,  encouraged  by  us,  laid  themselves  to  their  oars,  for  half  an 
hour,  with  their  whole  force.  The  weather  was  hot,  the  perspira- 
tion rolled  down  their  necks,  and  neither  gained  any  particular 
advantage  of  the  other,  and  neither  seemed  disposed  to  give  it  up. 
Finally,  as  if  by  mutual  agreement,  they  began  to  widen  the  distance 
between  them,  and  gradually  relaxed  into  their  usual  speed,  neither 
party  being  beat  or  beaten. 

The  boats  were  increased  in  number  as  we  came  within  two  or 
three  miles  of  Canton,  till  at  length  we  were  hitting  them  on  both 
sides.  As  we  neared  the  Factories  the  flags  of  the  American  and 
English  Consulates  appeared  waving  high  above  the  buildings  ;  and, 
soon  after,  several  blocks  of  handsome  European  buildings  came  into 
the  view.  These,  shut  out  before  by  the  dingy  red  mass  of  Chinese 
buildings,  now  sparkled,  in  contrast,  like  diamonds  in  a  heap  of  old 
rubbish.  We  landed  at  the  American  gardens  ;  and,  the  boys  leading 
the  way  and  the  coolies  carrying  the  baggage,  we  marched  for 
Acowo's  Hotel.  It  was  a  crooked  way  ;  —  passing  though  the  gar- 
dens, along  a  street,  leading  out  of  an  arched  gateway,  down  another 
street  to  the  left,  shortly  to  the  right,  and  then  mingling  with  so  many 
Chinese  that  I  could  no  longer  keep  the  bearings  ;  1  only  know  that  it 
seemed  a  succession  of  narrow  and  intricate  alleys.  A  small  number 
of  Chinese  fell  into  our  train,  but  a  greater  number  stood  and  stared 
at  us  by  the  way,  probably  knowing  that  we  were  strangers  lately 
arrived.  We  met  quite  a  number  of  tall,  liver-complexioned  Chinese, 
in  long  white  frocks,  with  fans  in  their  hands.  Making  low  bows,  they 
saluted  us  with, 

"  Goo'  morning,  sair  !  "  "  Kom  in  my  shop?  "  "  Have  got  plenty 
pooty  things  !  "  "  Can  sell  um  chipp."  "  Kom  make  see,  spose  likee 
can  do,  spose  no  likee  inarsakee,"  &c. 

When  we  reached  the  hotel,  Acowo,  with  all  sorts  of  gestures, 
showed  us  in  very  politely,  though  I  did  not  know  when  I  had  entered 
the  hotel.  I  could  not  perceive  the  difference  between  the  streets  and 
buildings  :  one  seemed  a  continuation  of  the  other.  I  saw  a  confusion 
of  narrow  passages,  a  mass  of  rickety-looking  houses,  dark  entries, 
open  doors,  twisting  stairs,  and  intricate  turnings,  and  only  knew 
that  I  had  arrived  at  my  room  when  they  pointed  out  the  bed. 
AlthougJi  in  the  forenoon,  within  the  room  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could 
hardly  see,  but  I  was  sure  it  was  above"  ground  ;  for  I  remembered  we 
had  crossed  a  frail  bridge  uniting  two  chamber  stories,  where  I  saw 
pavements  of  a  street  underneath,  and  that  we  had  since  descended 
only  a  short  flight  of  three  or  four  steps.  In  view  of  all  the  circum- 
stances, it  was  to  me  a  suspicious  place.  I  was  alone,  —  my  two  friends 


ACOWO'S   HOTEL.  101 

having  left  me  on  the  way,  to  go  to  their  quarters  at  the  house  of  their 
friend,  — and  I  thought  1  would  see  if  I  could  find  my  way  out  into 
daylight.  The  bridge  was  easy  to  find,  but  the  way  was  more  difficult 
afterwards.  However,  by  experimenting  up  and  down,  this  way  and 
that,  through  dark  entries  and  a  billiard-room,  I  at  last  came  to  the 
outside  of  the  buildings,  and  found  them  situated  on  a  dark,  narrow 
street.  I  passed  up  this  street  to  one  a  little  larger  and  much  lighter, 
but  full  of  Chinese  ;  and  then  thought  I  would  try  my  way  back 
again  before  I  had  proceeded  too  far.  I  went  back,  made  one  or  two 
turns,  and,  stepping  along  further,  entered  a  door.  Several  Chinamen 
stared  at  me,  as  much  as  to  say, 

"  What  do  you  wish  here  ?  " 

"  0  !  Ah!  Yes!  "  said  I,  "I  believe  I  have  taken  the  wrong 
place  ;  "  and  quickly  made  my  exit. 

I  looked  about  back  and  forth,  and  went  into  several  different  doors, 
but  at  each  I  judged,  by  the  staring  of  the  Chinese  within,  that  I  was 
wrong,  and  left  as  soon  as  I  had  entered.  I  was  obliged  to  give  up, 
at  last,  and  could  not  make  out  where  the  hotel  was.  After  consider- 
able gesticulating,  I  made  a  Chinaman  understand  that  I  wished  to 
find  Acowo's,  though  for  some  time  I  could  not  recollect  his  name. 
He  pointed  to  a  door,  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  and  I  entered.  It 
was  the  same  that  I  had  entered  twice  before  ;  for  I  could  perceive  the 
same  idol,  and  incense-sticks  burning  at  the  right  of  the  passage-way. 
The  staring  of  the  Chinese  did  not  drive  me  out  again.  I  was  now  m 
the  billiard-room,  endeavoring  to  make  out  the  door  at  which  I 
before  entered.  I  tried  them  all,  but  none  led  to  my  room,  and 
1  had  to  call  for  assistance.  The  first  boy  I  asked  did  not  offer  to 
show  me,  but  went  out  and  sent  in  another.  While  I  wras  consider- 
ing his  stupidity,  this  one  showed  me  the  way  to  my  quarters,  and  I 
perceived  him  to  be  my  own  boy.  I  took  a  seat,  glanced  around  on 
the  mixed  furniture,  the  crackly  windows,  made  of  oyster-shells,  instead 
of  glass,  and  the  patched  mosquito-net,  and  for  a  time  gave  myself 
up  to  reflections,  the  sum  of  which  was  that  "one  half  of  the  world 
little  knoweth  how  the  other  half  liveth."  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour 
I  could  go  down  from  my  room  and  out  to  the  street  and  back,  but  not 
always  by  the  same  way. 

My  next  object  was  to  find  my  way  back  and  forth  to  the  American 
gardens,  which  I  accomplished  with  little  difficulty,  except  from  the  im- 
portunities of  Chinese,  who  were  besetting  me  to  go  and  buy  some- 
thing of  them.  I  went  into  several  of  their  shops,  all  of  which  were 
small.  Their  goods  were  to  me  curiosities,  and  arranged  on  each  side 
of  the  room  on  shelves  that  were  protected  from  the  dust  and  unceremo- 
nious hands  by  glass  slides,  extending  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor.  They 
•were  not  at  all  discomposed  by  my  not  purchasing.  I  could  not  deter- 
mine what  to  buy,  unless  I  took  the  whole  shop  ;  and  came  away  without 
anything.  They  did,  however,  insist  on  my  taking  some  of  their  little 
ehop-bills,  about  as  large  as  a  silver  dollar,  and  stamped  in  red  letters 
with  "  Tshun-chong,  dealer  in  ivory  and  tortoise-shell  ;  "  or,  "  Lan- 
shing,  dealer  in  all  kinds  of  preserves;  "  or,  "  Win-clmng,  in  crape 
shawls,"  &c.  Acowo'a  appearance  did  not  indicate  that  he  was  worth 
9* 


102  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

five  hundred  dollars,  hut  I  am  told  he  is  worth  seventy-eight  thousand 
dollars,  which  is  considered  immense  wealth  by  the  Chinese. 

At  four,  I  sat  down  to  the  table  to  dine.  It  was  in  a  large  hall 
opposite  my  room,  in  the  third  story,  and  in  the  very  select  company 
of  myself,  in  whose  aristocratic  society  I  do  not  like  often  to  indulge 
alone.  I  prefer  something  more  democratic.  I  had  three  servants  to 
wait  on  me,  they  making  me  out  to  be  as  helpless  as  a  child  with 
wooden  arms !  Casting  aside  the  trammels  of  custom,  who  would  not 
more  enjoy  the  old  fashion  of  sitting  down  with  one's  friends,  with 
everything  at  once  on  the  table,  and  without  servants  behind  to  peep 
over  your  shoulder,  or  others  in  front  to  stare  you  in  the  face  ?  After 
dinner,  I  walked  about  in  the  neighborhood,  looking  in  at  the  shops 
within  sight  of  the  hotel. 

In  the  evening  I  called  on  Dr.  Parker  with  a  letter  of  introduction. 
He  received  me  very  politely  and  cordially.  At  his  house  I  saw  some 
large  calcareous  concretions  that  he  had  removed  in  his  surgical  opera- 
tions for  Chinese  patients,  one  of  them  weighing  almost  seven  ounces 
Having  spent  a  very  agreeable  hour  in  conversation  with  the  doctor  and 
Mrs.  Parker,  I  returned  to  the  hotel.  Another  hour  was  spent  in 
writing  up  my  journal,  and  I  then  retired  within  my  mosquito-net, 
my  mind  being  full  of  the  strange  things  of  this  strange  country. 

Tuesday,  September  IQth. —  I  arose  at  eight,  not  having  closed  my 
eyes  to  sleep  till  past  four  this  morning.  After  retiring  last  night,  I 
remained  awake  listening  to  the  singing  of  the  mosquitoes  within  the 
house,  and  the  queer  noises  of  the  people  outside.  The  mosquitoes  in 
myriads  flocked  around  the  bed,  and  their  noise  was  much  like  that 
from  a  distant  frog-pond.  To  hear  them  outside  threw  one  into  a 
perspiration  ;  but,  when  several  of  them  found  their  way  inside  the  net, 
and  tormented  me  for  hours,  it  was  as  much  as  my  nature  wished  to 
endure.  I  arose  several  times,  and,  as  I  thought,  drove  them  all  out ; 
but  they  would  fly  in  again  directly  afterwards.  However,  at  daylight 
they  drew  themselves  off,  and  left  me  to  my  repose.  When  I  looked  to 
see  what  had  become  of  them,  I  perceived  they  were  collected  inside 
on  the  top  of  the  netting,  with  their  long  bills  pointing  down  very 
innocently. 

Messrs.  Kellog  and  Rotch  called  on  me,  and  we  walked  out  among 
the  shops,  being  careful  not  to  go  far  from  our  quarters.  When  we 
stopped  to  look  at  any  curiosity,  we  were  sure  to  have  a  crowd  of 
Chinese  around  us.  We  walked  to  a  high  wall,  which  had  large  doors 
opening  through  it,  and  there  we  came  to  a  stand,  believing  it  to  be 
the  city  wall ;  out  it  proved  to  be  merely  the  end  of  old  China-street. 

Last  night  we  took  a  boat,  manned  by  three  Chinese  girls,  and  rowed 
for  an  hour  up  the  river.  We  saw  nothing  of  note  but  a  multitude 
of  boats.  We  passed  Captain  Graves,  who  was  on  his  way  to  Wham- 
poa,  to  sail  to-night  for  New  York.  I  almost  wished  that  I  was  going 
with  him. 

Wednesday,  September  20th. —  I  rejoiced  when  morning  came,  for  I 
slept  none  during  the  night.  The  noise  of  my  insect  enemies  was  like 
the  distant  din  of  boys  just  released  from  school.  About  half  a  dozen 
found  their  way  through  the  netting ;  but  I  think  I  killed  every  one 


CANTON. DR.    PARKER   AT   THE   HOSPITAL.  103 

of  them,  though  I  boxed  myself  severely  in  doing  it.  I  could  hear 
those  outside  flying  against  the  net,  as  if  they  were  determined,  at  all 
hazards,  to  force  their  way  through.  Every  hour  I  heard  the  strike 
of  the  clock,  and  also  what  I  took  to  be  the  nightly  patrols  of  the 
watchmen,  who  seemed  to  be  beating  with  a  stick  on  some  old  pail  or 
box.  They  slowly  gave  three  loud  thumps,  which  were  followed  by 
two  others,  struck  more  rapidly.  After  a  pause  of  a  few  moments, 
they  repeated  the  same  again  ;  and  so  on  for  hours.  At  times,  China- 
men  were  jabbering,  as  if  in  hard  dispute ;  and  sometimes  I  was 
greeted  with  what  I  supposed  to  be  the  music  of  cats ;  but,  after  list- 
ening a  while,  I  found  it  was  Chinese  singing.  During  the  night,  I 
fancied  I  had  a  visit  from  a  Chinaman.  I  was  lying  quietly,  and 
thought  I  saw,  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  his  white  figure.  I 
knew  that  I  had  not  closed  my  door,  and  I  watched  the  appearance 
for  an  hour.  I  thought  at  one  time  it  approached  the  bed,  stooped 
down,  and  then  receded,  then  stood  still,  and  then  turned  aside.  At 
length  I  determined  not  to  be  frightened  by*my  imagination,  and  tried 
to  compose  myself.  Still,  as  I  placed  my  eyes  upon  it,  it  seemed  to 
change  its  position.  Soon,  however,  I  heard  the  gnawing  of  a  mouse, 
and  I  knew  that  if  a  man  was  there  the  mouse  would  not  be,  and  I 
quieted  myself  to  sleep.  Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

I  was  yesterday  convinced  that  cats  here  are  indeed  an  article  of 
food  ;  for  I  saw  several  fat  ones  exposed  in  cages  for  sale,  and  ready 
to  be  made  into  chow-chow.  They  are  considered  a  great  luxury  by 
the  Chinese.  I  have  seen  here  and  at  Hong-Kong  most  filthy-looking 
pieces  of  meat  carried  round  among  the  Chinese  for  sale. 

Mr.  R.  called  with  me  on  Dr.  Parker,  who  had  invited  us  to  be 
present  to-day  at  his  operations  at  the  hospital.  We  walked  down 
with  him  to  the  building,  which  is  in  the  rear  of  the  American  gar- 
dens. The  first  room  was  nearly  filled  with  patients,  who  seemed  to 
be  afflicted  with  various  evils  and  deformities.  We  went  up  stairs, 
•and  there  saw  another  room  full.  They  were  seated  on  benches  in 
rows.  The  doctor  first  explained  to  us  the  paintings  hanging  around 
the  room,  illustrations  of  his  own  cases.  Of  the  patients  present,  one 
woman  was  afflicted  with  a  schirrous  tumor,  which  is  soon  to  be 
operated  on.  It  was  on  her  neck,  and  nearly  twice  the  size  of  her 
head.  Dr.  P.  commenced  operations :  first,  for  cataract,  and  then 
for  entropia  of  the  eyelid,  &c.,  and  went  through  with  twelve  casea 
in  little  more  than  half  an  hour.  He  operates  very  expeditiously  and 
steadily.  The  patients  did  not  wince  at  all  under  the  knife,  but  sat 
calmly,  almost  as  if  nothing  was  taking  place. 


104  CUI5A    AND    MANILLA. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

COMMISSIONER    DAVIS     AND    GOVERNOR   SC.  —  VIEW    FROM    DR.     PARKER'S 

HOUSE. RIVER. BOAT    POPULATION. FLOWER-GARDEN. VISIT    TO 

WHAMPOA. RELIGIOUS   WORSHIP  AT  CANTON. CHINESE  SHOPKEEPERS. 

VISIT    TO  DR.  B. MY  BOY'S    CHASE. BOAT  PULLING. DIPLOMACY 

OF    THE   AMERICAN    MINISTER   AND    CHINESE   OFFICIAL. 

THURSDAY,  September  2lst. —  Last  night  I  slept  well.  My  boy  hav- 
ing found  the  opening  in  the  net  where  the  mosquitoes  entered,  and 
mended  it,  I  was  actually  free  of  these  tormentors. 

I  called  at  Dr.  Parker's  and  dined  with  the  family,  taking  "  pot- 
luck  "  with  them.  I  there  saw  Mr.  Williams,  the  author  of  the 
volumes  on  "  the  Middle  Kingdom,"  and  Mrs.  W.  In  conversation 
Mr.  W.  said  that  he  had  been  in  Northboro,  Mass.,  and  had  lectured 
there. 

To-day  Mr.  Davis,  the  U.  S.  Commissioner,  was  to  have  met  the 
governor  of  Canton  at  a  place  some  two  miles  up  the  river ;  but  Mr. 
Davis  did  not  arrive,  and  the  meeting  did  not  take  place.  In  the 
afternoon  I  was  at  the  house  of  Dr.  P.,  and  saw  Governor  Su  and 
his  suite  as  they  returned  from  the  place  appointed.  They  had  been 
waiting,  and  dined  by  themselves.  Their  boat  was  towed  by  another 
with  rowers  ahead  ;  and,  although  as  large  as  a  small  steamboat  here, 
it  was  apparently  not  large  enough,  in  Governor  Su's  estimation,  to 
contain  all  the  attendants,  servants,  flags  and  dresses,  of  the  party. 
They  displayed  considerable  show  and  pomp.  The  peculiar  mandarin 
hat  was  worn  by  all,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  of  them.  These 
hats  have  broad,  circular  brims,  and  the  crown  comes  to  a  point  like  a 
paper  tunnel  or  a  tin  dish-cover,  surmounted  with  a  red  tassel. 

One  of  the  finest  views  of  the  river  is  obtained  from  Dr.  Parker's 
house.  It  is  the  first  of  a  large  block,  with  only  a  small  garden 
between  it  and  the  river,  which  it  overlooks,  and  one  side  commands  a 
view  of  the  American  gardens  and  of  the  front  of  the  factories.  For  an 
hour  I  sat  in  the  second  story,  and  looked  out  upon  the  immense  boat 
population.  It  was  a  curious  sight,  such  a  multitude  and  mixture  of 
people  and  boats. 

From  the  shore  extended  out  rows  of  boats,  fastened  together  as  if 
stationary  platoons  of  a  boat  army,  with  their  bows  towards  the  cur- 
rent. Around  the  different  landing-places,  piers,  <fcc.,  they  were 


VISIT   TO    WHAJ1POA.  105 

crowded  in  so  thickly  that  those  in  boats  at  the  rear  were  obliged  to 
pass  through  them,  several  deep,  to  get  on  shore. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  river  the  scene  was  quite  animating.  There 
was  a  continual  jostling  of  boats,  of  all  sizes  and  kinds,  passing  in 
every  conceivable  direction.  Glancing  over  them  as  a  whole,  they 
seemed  to  be  moving  about  among  each  other  like  bees  upon  a  hive, 
without  any  definite  object ;  but  let  the  eye  follow  them  singly,  and 
they  will  be  seen  to  enter  the  throng,  thread  their  way  through,  pass 
out,  and  go  their  different  ways,  while  others  fill  their  places.  These 
boats  are  of  different  sizes  and  styles, —  from  the  single-oared  sculling 
boat  to  those  with  an  oar  twenty,  or  thirty,  or  forty  feet  long,  which 
are  worked  by  a  corresponding  number  of  men  ;  and  then  there  is 
occasionally  the  large  flower-boat  among  them.  The  scene  may  be 
called  a  city  of  boats.  It  is  said  there  are  three  hundred  thousand 
people  living  in  boats  at  this  one  city. 

Yesterday,  with  Mr.  R.,  I  took  a  boat,  and,  ascending  the  river  a  short 
distance,  visited  the  Fa-te  flower-gardens  on  the  opposite  side.  The 
grounds  are  extensive,  and  regularly  laid  out.  Long  rows  of  plants 
and  flowers  stretch  across,  with  rows  of  crockery  vases  of  variously- 
trained  plants,  and  shrubs  border  the  paths.  In  the  season  of  bloom 
it  must  be  a  pretty  sight  ;  but  now  it  presents  little  of  interest.  The 
Chinese  in  attendance  were  very  civil  and  polite  to  us. 

At  evening  we  left  for  Whampoa,  intending  myself  to  return  to  Hong- 
Kong.  My  boy  was  not  at  home,  supposing  that  we  were  not  going 
till  to-morrow,  and  we  left  without  him.  I  do  not  know  what  he  will 
say  when  he  finds  me  gone  with  bag  and  baggage.  The  tide  was 
against  us,  and  it  was  dark  and  past  ten  in  the  evening  before  we 
arrived  at  Whampoa.  We  passed  all  the  vessels  without  recognizing 
the  "  Sam  Russell."  Retracing  our  course,  we  hailed  each  vessel, 
and  when  we  came  to  the  right  one  we  found  that  we  had  been  more 
than  a  mile  out  of  our  way. 

Whampoa,  Friday,  22d. —  Last  night  I  had  a  glorious  sleep,  having 
my  bed  on  a  cane  settee  on  the  deck  of  the  "  Sam  Russell."  There 
were  beautiful  state-rooms  below,  with  beautiful  berths  beautifully 
curtained.  But  there  also  were  beautiful  mosquitoes,  with  beautiful 
voices  and  beautiful  bites.  The  captain  told  me  to  take  any  place  I 
chose,  and  I  selected  the  one  on  deck.  At  four  o'clock  I  was  much 
disturbed  by  the  men  washing  down  the  decks,  and  was  glad  to  con- 
clude my  sleep  in  one  of  the  state-rooms  below.  The  captain  and 
others  in  the  state-rooms  complained  bitterly  of  disquietude  occa- 


106  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

eioned  by  their  insect  tormentors,  while  I  was  on  deck  entirely  free 
of  them. 

Saturday,  September  23d. —  Last  night  I  again  slept  on  deck  ;  but 
the  mosquitoes  found  me  out,  hundreds  of  them,  and  left  me  no  peace 
of  mind  or  body.  I  had  a  hard  bed,  and  a  hard  night's  rest.  I  was 
up  at  half-past  five,  and  at  seven  breakfasted  with  Captain  Lovett  on 
board  the  "  Eagle."  This  is  the  vessel  that  was  so  torn  to  pieces  in 
the  typhoon.  I  went  back  to  Canton  with  Captain  L.  in  his  sampan, 
concluding,  the  vessel  in  which  I  thought  of  returning  to  Hong-Kong 
having  left,  that  I  would  stop  there  a  few  days  longer. 

Canton,  Sunday,  2±th. —  I  have  been  sick  all  day,  and  also  much 
prostrated  by  the  intense  heat.  Mr.  K.  said  ho*could  "  not  endure 
this,"  and  went  off  to  Whampoa,  where  it  is  generally  a  little  cooler. 
I  attended  religious  services  at  Dr.  Parker's.  Here  was  an  audience 
of  about  thirty  persons,  all  Americans,  of  which  two  were  ladies. 
Dr.  P.  delivered  a  discourse,  and  the  singing  was  united  in  by  all 
present. 

It  seems  very  little  like  Sunday  here.  There  is  among  the  Chinese 
the  same  attention  paid  to  business,  and  the  same  confusion  arising 
from  it,  as  on  other  days.  I  cannot  learn  that  the  Chinese  have  any 
holy  day  in  their  calendar  of  idolatrous  services. 

Monday,  September  25th. —  I  had  no  mosquitoes  last  night,  and  had 
a  renovating  sleep,  so  that  I  feel  quite  myself  again.  Dr.  P.  called 
on  me,  and  I  accompanied  him  to  his  hospital  to  assist  in  a  surgical 
operation,  —  the  removal  of  a  large  schirrous  tumor, —  which  was 
done  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  patient,  an  elderly  Chinese 
woman. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  R.  called  and  introduced  himself  to  me,  and  we  had 
a  long  conversation  on  Chinese  affairs.  He  has  been  a  missionary  here 
longer  than  any  other  one  now  in  China. 

Tuesday,  September  2Glh. —  I  have  visited  some  of  the  Chinese  stores. 
A  little  fortune  might  be  spent  here  in  purchasing  curiosities.  The 
shopkeepers  are  really  tedious  in  their  importunities.  They  stand  in 
their  shop-doors  on  either  side  of  the  street,  with  fans  in  their  hands, 
bowing,  smiling,  and  calling  out  in  what  English  they  may  happen  to 
know.  Others  will  follow  and  importune  strangers  in  the  street. 
One  of  them  is  very  persevering  towards  me,  and  manages  to  meet  me 
every  time  I  pass  back  and  forth  to  the  hotel.  He  has  become  very 
annoying,  and  comes  up  with  a  low  bow  and  flourish  of  the  fan. 


CANTON. VISIT    TO   DR.    B.  107 

"Goo1  morning,  sair  !  how  do,  sar?  Kum  min'  my  shop  now? 
Muchy  curous  thing  ;  Ivery,  motherer  purl.  Kum  make  see  litty  !" 

Sometimes  I  pretend  not  to  hear,  and  he  follows,  calling  out,  a  num- 
ber of  times, 

"  Goo'  morning." 

And  then  he  continues, 

"  Igh,  Igh,  Igh  !  I  say,  Igh  !  Igh  !  — Misser  Pau  "  (meaning  Mr. 
Ball),  "  goo'  morning;  stop  litty.  Igh,  Igh,  I  say,  kum  my  shop  ; 
can  sell-um  too-inuchy  chipp." 

I  often  get  rid  of  them  with  short  answers,  and  in  the  easiest  way  I 
can  ;  but  they  do  not  trouble  those  residing  here. 

I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Dr.  B.,  who  called  and  made  himself 
known,  and  I  enjoyed  an  agreeable  conversation  with  him. 

Mr.  R.  suddenly  appeared  at  the  hotel  this  afternoon,  and  dined 
with  me.  He  had  just  returned  from  Macao,  forty  miles  from  here, 
where  he  has  been  alone,  all  the  way  there  and  back,  in  a  Chinese  fast 
boat.  I  expostulated  with  him  for  taking  such  a  risk,  although  I 
thought  that  I  might  be  as  likely  to  do  similarly. 

It  rained  to-day,  the  first  that  I  have  seen  in  Canton,  and  rendered 
the  heat  more  endurable. 

Wednesday,  September  27th. —  Dr.  B.  came  in  at  one  p.  M.,  and  I 
accompanied  him  in  his  boat  to  his  house,  two  miles  down  the  river, 
to  dine  with  him.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  child  and  daugh- 
ter, and  a  school  of  Chinese  children.  His  Chinese  house  is  long  and 
narrow,  and  extends  back  to  another  street,  a  hundred  or  two  feet,  and 
is  joined  to  several  others,  like  a  batch  of  brick-loaves.  It  fronts  on 
the  river,  and  makes  one  side  to  an  open  square  before  a  temple.  We 
looked  through  the  different  rooms,  ten  or  twelve  deep,  between  the 
two  streets.  Besides  those  required  for  the  family,  there  were  the 
school-rooms,  the  scholars'  eating  and  sleeping  rooms,  and  others  for 
the  publishing  department.  Many  tracts  and  school-books  are  here 
printed  in  the  Chinese  language.  In  the  further  room,  which  opens 
on  the  back  street,  we  stopped  to  look  out  a  few  minutes,  when  the 
Chinese  began  to  gather  around  and  gaze  at  us  as  if  we  were  wild 
beasts,  and  some  female  heads  very  cautiously  peeped  out  from  behind 
the  doors  and  corners  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  From  the 
top  of  the  house  we  could  see  a  portion  of  the  city,  a  little  of  the 
wall,  and  swarms  of  boats,  stationary  or  in  motion,  up  and  down  the 
river.  In  the  school-room  the  scholars  were  all  studying  aloud,  pro- 
ducing to  my  ears  a  great  confusion  of  sounds.  After  tea,  on  the  way 


108  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

home,  we  called  at  Dr.  H.'s.  He  is  also  a  missionary,  living  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  a  mile  below  the  factories.  Stopping  here  half  an 
hour,  Mr.  Warden,  an  American  who  had  called  in,  and  myself,  con- 
cluded to  walk,  instead  of  taking  the  boat,  to  the  factories.  Dr.  H. 
sent  his  cooly  with  a  lantern  to  guide  us-.  The  streets  are  exceedingly 
narrow,  crooked  and  dark,  and  we  passed  several  houses  of  gamblers  ; 
but  we  were  in  no  way  interfered  with,  and  safely  reached  our  destina- 
tion. I  had  some  conversation  with  Dr.  B.  on  genealogy,  and  believe 
that  we  trace  our  ancestry  to  the  same  origin. 

My  boy  made  his  appearance  to-day,  looking  quite  ashamed  of  him- 
self, he  having  been  on  a  wild  chase  after  me  to  Hong-Kong  and  back. 
As  soon  as  he  heard  that  I  had  gone,  he  set  off  after  me.  I  had 
stopped  at  Whampoa,  but  left  no  message  for  him,  intending  it  as  a  pun- 
ishment for  his  being  away,  that  he  might  find  me  as  best  he  could. 
He  told  me  he  had  taken  a  fast  boat,  and  had  gone  to  Hong-Kong,  in- 
quired at  all  the  houses  and  on  board  the  vessels,  and  then  thought  I 
must  be  lost.  Afterwards  he  came  back  to  Whampoa,  and  learned  that 
I  was  at  Canton  ;  and  he  came  directly  up.  He  said, 

"  I  no  likey  too  muchy  boberry  my  ;  I  too  muchy  fear  bad  man  have 
catchee  you ;  hai  yah  I  too  muchy  glad  you  no  makee  spile  'em." 

Thursday  y  September  28th. —  Mr.  R.  dined  with  me  to-day.  At  his 
very  urgent  request,  I  accompanied  him  in  a  boat  to  Whampoa.  We 
found  fine  sleeping  quarters  on  board  the  "  Sam  Russell,"  in  splendid 
rooms,  within  comfortable  mosquito-curtains. 

Saturday,  September  30th. —  We  returned  from  Whampoa  yesterday, 
stopping  on  the  way  at  Boston  Jack's,  who  persisted  in  our  remaining 
to  breakfast.  After  dinner  we  took  a  walk  in  the  American  gardens 
with  Mr.  Moses,  a  young  merchant  from  Australia.  We  found  a 
great  portion  of  the  foreign  residents  there  promenading.  Near  the 
landing-place  we  visited  the  boat-house  belonging  to  the  foreigners. 
It  is  a  long,  shed-like  building,  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  water,  and 
is  designed  as  a  storehouse  for  the  boats  of  those  who  take  exercise  in 
pulling.  One  or  two  hundred  boats  were  ranged  in  rows,  and  raised 
several  feet  from  the  floor.  They  were  of  all  sizes  and  styles,  but  were 
long,  narrow,  and  delicately  formed.  Some  of  them  were  beautiful, 
fairy-like  skiffs,  made  of  handsome  wood,  finely  polished,  and  so  light 
that  one  could  easily  carry  them.  They  looked  more  as  if  intended 
for  a  museum  than  for  actual  use.  When  the  business  of  the  day  is 
concluded  the  younger  members  of  the  foreign  community  repair 
hither  to  take  their  exercise  and  airing  on  the  water.  The  Chinese 


CANTON. GOYEKNOR  SU  AND  THE  AM.  COMMISSIONER.   109 

coolies  launch  the  boats,  and  in  a  moment  their  proprietors  are  gliding, 
with  almost  the  rapidity  of  a  skater,  over  the  water.  They  usually 
pull  singly,  but  sometimes  several  are  attached  to  the  same  boat ;  and 
the  trial  of  speed  with  some  rival  boat  not  unfrequently  shows  itself 
afterwards  in  their  blistered  hands.  In  some  a  servant  sits  in  the  stern 
and  steers,  while  in  others  the  rower  pulls  with  a  slender  oar  in  each 
hand,  and  as  the  boat,  like  an  Indian  canoe,  shoots  onward,  the  only 
wonder  is  that  they  do  not  capsize,  or  fill  with  water. 

To-morrow  morning,  in  company  with  Dr.  B.,  I  am  to  make  a  visit 
to  one  of  the  pagodas  ;  and,  the  day  after,  we  walk  around  the  city 
walls.  I  anticipate  no  trouble  from  the  people,  though  I  am  told  that 
their  feelings  towards  foreigners  are  very  sensitive,  on  account  of  the 
differences  at  present  existing.  Dr.  B.  and  others,  by  gentle  deport- 
ment, have  avoided  all  difficulty  when  among  them. 

The  Chinese  Governor  Su  has  concluded  to  appoint  another  meeting 
with  Mr.  Davis.  A  day  had  been  set  for  a  meeting  of  the  two  func- 
tionaries before,  but  Mr.  D.,  coming  from  Macao  in  the  "  Plymouth," 
which  was  delayed  by  light  winds,  failed  to  arrive  till  the  day  after. 
Then  he  directed  a  note  to  the  governor,  stating  the  facts  of  his  ina- 
bility to  arrive  in  season.  The  governor  sent  him  an  insulting  answer, 
which  was,  in  effect,  that  his  reasons  were  weak,  that  he  did  not  intend 
to  meet  him,  that  his  meaning  was  to  impose  on  him,  &c.  Mr.  D. 
sent  back  the  note  without  comment,  and  then  transmitted  a  despatch 
for  the  "  Preble  "  to  come  to  Whampoa.  In  a  few  days  a  party  of 
naval  officers  from  the  two  ships  landed  at  the  garden  and  called  on 
Mr.  D.  ;  and  in  less  than  three  hours,  without  anything  further  being 
done,  a  note  was  received  from  "  Su,"  withdrawing  his  own  note, 
making  an  apology,  and  designating  a  time  to  meet  him.  Informa- 
tion of  the  landing  of  American  officers  in  uniform  at  the  garden 
had  probably  been  quickly  conveyed  by  the  Chinese  to  the  governor, 
who,  fearing  that  something  else  might  follow,  immediately  sent  his 
note  to  the  commissioner.  Su  is  not  as  well  disposed  towards  foreign- 
ers as  was  Keying,  the  former  governor. 
10 


110  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

VISIT     TO     A     PAGODA.  —  TOUR     AROUND     THE     CITY    WALLS. VISIT    TO 

TEMPLE,   ETC. 

LETTER   TO   BROTHER   A. 

Canton,  China,  Oct. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  have  made  a  visit  to  one  of  the  pagodas  with  the 
Rev.  Dr.  B.,  which,  at  his  invitation,  had  been  previously  arranged. 
As  he  had  been  here  so  long,  speaks  the  language  of  the  Chinese,  and 
understands  so  well  how  to  manage  with  them,  I  very  readily  accepted 
of  his  politeness.  Early  in  the  morning  Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman  (a  former 
college-mate)  called,  and  we  walked  a  distance  of  two  miles  to  Dr. 
B.'s  house.  When  I  found  he  was  going  to  walk,  instead  of  taking  a 
boat,  I  hesitated  ;  but,  recollecting  that  he  had  been  in  China  two  or 
three  years,  I  went  with  him  without  fear. 

The  streets  were  very  narrow,  much  of  the  way  being  only  wide 
enough  for  three  to  walk  abreast;  and  straight,  though,  at  short 
intervals,  we  turned  abrupt  angles,  so  that  our  course  was  irregular. 
They  were  so  filled  with  Chinese  that  we  were  obliged  to  walk  in 
single  file,  and  be  very  careful  not  to  encounter  the  poles  which  they 
carry  on  their  shoulders  in  bearing  their  burdens. 

I  several  times  stepped  from  behind  Mr.B.  to  walk  more  socially  by 
his  side,  but  was  quickly  obliged  to  fall  back  again  to  save  my  head 
from  being  bruised.  We  arrived  at  the  house  safely,  and  without  any 
insult  that  I  comprehended,  though  it  was  amusing  to  Mr.  B.,  who 
understood  the  language,  to  hear  their  remarks  concerning  us.  I 
understood  perfectly  well  the  Fan-qui-loo,  "  Foreign  White  Devil," 
•which  I  very  often  heard.  Sometimes  they  said  to  each  other,  in  their 
language, 

"  Hulloa,  foreign  Devils !"  "Two  of  them!"  "  Out  pretty  early 
this  morning !  "  "  Ah,  two  of  the  foreign  Devils !  "  "  Hulloa,  look 
here,  there  they  go!  "  "  Strange-looking  Devils  they  are!  "  And 
remarks  of  that  nature. 

Often  they  would  stop  and  look  at  us  till  we  were  out  of  their  sight. 
They  were  more  civil  than  they  would  have  been  further  in  the  city, 
as  our  course  lay  near  the  river,  where  they  see  and  have  more  or  less 
intercourse  with  foreigners. 

At  nine  o'clock  we  breakfasted  with  Dr.  B.,  and  then  set  out  for 
the  pagoda,  which  was  in  sight  a  few  miles  down  the  river.  Our  boat 
was  mannrd  by  a  Chinese  woman,  her  son  twelve  years  old,  and  a 
daughter  of  eighteen.  The  mother  carried  a  child  on  her  back,  sculled 
with  a  long  oar,  and  at  the  same  time  steered  the  boat,  while  the 
son  and  daughter  pulled  at  the  oars.  When  within  about  a  milo 
of  our  destination  we  entered  a  little  creek  which  leads  to  the  pagoda. 
The  tide  was  going  out,  and  directly  we  found  ourselves  aground,  with 


CANTON. VISIT   TO   A    PAGODA.  Ill 

some  feet  deep  of  mud  around  us,  about  fifty  rods  from  the  pagoda. 
Our  boat's  crew,  rolling  up  their  pantaloons,  jumped  out,  and,  wading 
in  the  mud,  pulled  arid  pushed  the  boat  ahead  several  rods.  At  length 
we  stuck  fast  in  the  mud,  and  remained  for  an  hour,  during  which 
time  numbers  of  Chinese,  men,  boys  and  girls,  waded  off  and  collected 
around  us.  They  soon  began  to  be  rather  boisterous,  and  to  exhibit 
indications  of  ill-behavior  towards  us  ;  but  Dr.  B.  kept  them  in  check 
by  distributing  among  them  religious  tracts  written  in  the  Chinese 
language.  Dr.  B.  then  hired  some  of  the  men  to  go  and  bring  a 
lighter  boat,  in  which  they  drew  us  through  the  mud  to  the  shore. 
The  crowd  followed  behind,  making  confused  noises. 

Being  safely  landed,  we  ascended  a  little  hill,  and  stood  at  the  foot 
of  a  large  and  beautiful  pagoda.  Its  great  height,  nine  stories,  with 
the  cupola  and  spire,  reminded  me  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument.  The 
pagoda  is  octagonal,  and,  I  should  judge,  about  forty-five  feet  in 
diameter  at  the  base,  gradually  diminishing  in  size  as  it  ascends  some 
two  hundred  feet.  The  whole  structure  is  supported  on  the  shoulders 
of  eight  human  figures,  carved  in  stone,  and  placed  at  each  angle. 
The  remaining  portion  of  the  foundation  is  of  plain  stone.  The  walls 
are  about  fifteen  feet  in  thickness,  mostly  of  brick,  and  plastered  on 
the  outside.  In  each  story  there  are  four  windows,  and  four  imitation 
ones,  alternating  with  each  other,  and  corresponding  with  the  eight 
sides. 

A  wide  cornice  encircles  the  base  of  each  story,  on  which  flowers 
and  shrubs  are  growing.  These  look  pretty,  appearing  like  nine 
green  wreaths  ornamenting  the  pagoda  from  top  to  bottom.  In  the 
upper  story,  at  the  base  of  the  cupola,  hang  eight  bells,  one  from 
each  angle,  though  I  could  discover  no  tongues  to  them.  There  are 
two  entrances,  one  opposite  the  other,  leading  directly  through  from 
side  to  side,  and  raised  a  few  feet  from  the  ground.  The  inside  is 
hollow,  like  a  tube,  all  the  way  to  the  top,  and  contained  a  great 
many  little  birds,  which  were  chirping  and  fluttering  about.  In  the 
niches  of  the  walls  of  the  lower  story  were  several  idols  seated.  In 
one  place  the  Josh  paper  is  burned,  and  there  the  Chinese  come  to 
worship  when  they  feel  inclined. 

The  ascent  of  the  pagoda  is  by  the  open  windows,  and  must  be  a 
perilous  undertaking.  I  should  not  like  to  be  obliged  to  make  it.  There 
are  no  steps  leading  up,  and  a  person  must  push  a  plank  across  from 
window  to  window,  like  a  bridge,  walk  over  on  it,  draw  it  after  him, 
and,  walking  part  way  round  on  the  cornice  outside,  throw  it  across 
between  two  other  windows,  which  are  a  few  feet  higher  than  those 
left.  The  person  walks  across  again,  carries  the  plank  around  to  the 
set  of  windows  still  higher,  then  across,  and  so  on,  until  he  reaches 
the  top.  He  must  cross  the  plank  four  times  to  ascend  each  story, 
and  thirty-six  times  in  all. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  what  could  have  been  the  original  object  of 

Eagodas.     There  are  quite  a  number  to  be  seen  as  one  passes  back  and 
>rth  on  the  river  .between  Whampoa  and  Canton,  a  distance  of  ten 
miles.     It  is  affirmed  by  some  that  they  were  each  erected  and  dedicated 
to  particular  deities.     For  instance,  should  an  epidemic  break  out  at 


112  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

any  place  and  result  in  the  destruction  of  life,  they  might  build  a 
pagoda  there,  and  dedicate  it  to  the  god  of  health.  Another  might  bo 
erected  to  the  god  of  war. 

Others  consider  them  intended  for  telegraphic  purposes.  It  is  very 
certain  that  when  the  English  took  the  Chinese  forts  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  it  was  known  fifteen  minutes  afterwards  at  Canton,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty  miles.  I  presume  that  signals  could  be  made  from  one 
pagoda  to  another,  from  Hong-Kong  to  Canton,  a  distance  of  eighty 
miles. 

We  remained  about  the  pagoda  for  several  hours,  during  which 
there  was  a  crowd  of  vagabond  Chinese  around  us.  They  did  not 
trouble  us  a  great  deal,  although  we  had  to  put  up  with  some  things 
which  could  not  be  called  civilities.  A  little  behind  the  pagoda  was  a 
village,  which  we  visited.  There  were  very  few  men  about.  The 
young  women  appeared  very  shy,  for  they  ran  from  point  to  point, 
hiding  themselves  like  rabbits  ;  but  the  old  ones  would  come  out  quite 
boldly.  Some  of  them  made  one  or  two  circuits,  and  then,  stopping 
near  us,  scanned  us  from  head  to  foot.  We  returned  to  Dr.  B.'s 
house  to  dinner  at  three,  having  had  a  pleasant  trip,  and  very  little 
difficulty  with  the  heathen. 

There  are  many  pirates  down  the  river,  between  here  and  Hong- 
Kong.  Dr.  B.  has  several  patients  who  have  been  attacked  by  them, 
and  he  has  extracted  bullets  from  their  wounds.  Every  vessel  goes 
armed  ;  even  the  little  steamboat  which  plies  between  Whampoa  and 
Canton.  I  have  several  times  been  down  in  the  evening  in  a  little 
row-boat  to  Whampoa,  but  the  boatmen  and  myself  always  had  weap- 
ons for  defence.  1  have  not  yet  fallen  in  with  any  of  the  pirates. 


LETTER  TO   PARENTS. 

Canton,   Oct.  3d. 

MY  DEAR  PARENTS  :  Last  evening  I  was  down  at  Dr.  B.'s,  and, 
remaining  to  tea,  we  made  arrangements  for  an  excursion  around  the 
walls  of  Canton.  The  distance  is  about  seven  or  eight  miles,  and  can 
be  accomplished  in  less  than  half  a  day.  I  returned  to  the  hotel  and 
extended  the  invitation  to  Mr.  R.  and  Mr.  M. ;  but  they  both  declined, 
saying  they  would  not  thus  risk  themselves  among  the  heathen  "  for 
the  whole  of  China."  A  friend  who  has  lived  here  near  ten  years 
advised  me  not  to  go,  and  recounted  the  dangers  attending  such  an 
expedition.  He  gave  me  the  history  of  several  who  had  attempted  it, 
some  having  succeeded,  and  some  not.  The  Rev.  Mr.  S.  and  party  had 
tried  it,  and  were  mobbed  by  the  rabble,  robbed  of  their  watches  and 
valuables,  almost  entirely  stripped  of  their  clothes,  and  barely  escaped 
with  their  lives.  He  said, 

"  Perhaps  you  may  go  safely,  but  there  are  many  chances  against  it. 
During  the  time  I  have  been  in  China  I  have  never  been  induced  to 
trust  myself  at  all  in  that  quarter ;  and  the  merchants  who  have  been 
here  twenty  years  have  never  done  it.  I  sincerely  advise  you  to  remain 
at  home,  where  you  are  well  off." 


CANTON.  —  EXCURSION    ROUND   THE    WALLS.  113 

I  had,  however,  confidence  in  Dr.  B.,  and  was  willing  to  take  my 
share  of  the  risk,  though  I  would  not  have  thought  of  going  alone.  I 
had  set  my  mind  oil  it,  and  could  not  endure  the  reflection  of  having 
backed  out. 

Mr.  Bridgeman  called  for  me  this  morning,  and,  being  a  little  late,  we 
took  a  small  boat  and  hastened  down  the  river.  When  we  arrived  at 
the  house,  a  few  minutes  past  five,  we  found  that  the  party,  consisting 
of  Dr.  B.,  Miss  B.  and  Rev.  Mr.  G.,  having  concluded  that  we  should 
not  come,  had  gone  without  us.  I  was  much  disappointed,  and  pro- 
posed that  we  should  follow  on  after  them,  if  Mr.  B.  knew  the  course. 
To  this  he  objected  that  they  had  been  gone  too  long  —  a  full  half-hour. 
I,  however,  insisted  that  we  should  make  the  attempt ;  and,  it  having 
been  left  to  me  to  decide,  we  concluded  to  do  so.  With  no  weapons 
but  our  umbrellas,  fortifying  our  nerves  with  a  cup  of  cofi'ee,  we  started 
in  pursuit. 

Proceeding  at  a  rapid  pace,  we  were  quickly  mixed  in  with  the 
Chinese  throng,  making  our  way  through  a  densely-populated  part  of 
the  city.  The  streets  were  very  narrow,  wet,  dirty,  and  full  of  people. 
The  wall  was  our  guide,  though  it  could  be  detected  only  at  intervals, 
on  account  of  the  buildings  which  were  constructed  against  it.  This 
sometimes  caused  us  a  little  doubt ;  but,  knowing  that  the  wall  must 
always  be  on  the  left,  and  that  we  could  not  get  through  it  in  that 
direction,  we  were  not  long  in  error. 

As  we  advanced  we  seemed  to  have  entered  some  thoroughfare  ;  for 
the  Chinese  were  pouring  through  like  the  people  coming  out  of  a 
theatre,  and  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  stem  the  tide.  Among  them 
were  coolies  carrying  their  various  burthens,  with  the  poles  on  their 
shoulders,  and  projecting  in  front.  These  had  to  be  avoided,  or  a 
severe  blow  on  the  head  would  follow.  The  greater  number  of  them 
were  bereft  of  clothing  to  their  waists,  their  skins  filled  with  greasy 
perspiration  and  dust.  Their  constantly  rubbing  against  us  was  not 
particularly  pleasing.  I  fancied  they  looked  at  us  with  a  hostile  feel- 
ing, but  so  long  as  they  did  nothing  else  we  did  not  mind  them.  The 
wooden  countenances  of  the  poorest  cooly  showed  that  even  they 
despised  us. 

One  long,  vile-looking  street,  that  we  passed  through,  I  shall  not  soon 
forget.  Dark,  low  and  filthy  houses  were  closely  packed  on  both 
sides,  looking  within  like  dungeons,  with  hardly  light  enough  to  see 
the  people,  hogs  and  dogs,  who  there  live  together  in  harmony.  Their 
hyena  dogs,  however,  were  not  in  such  harmony  with  us.  They 
sprang  out,  barking,  showing  their  white  teeth,  and  snapping  at 
us,  as  if  they  would  actually  lay  hold  of  us ;  and  several  times  I 
whirled  around  to  avoid  them.  At  all  these  movements  the  Chinese 
seemed  highly  delighted,  and  encouraged  their  dogs  to  continue.  I 
should  have  taught  them  a  lesson  of  respect  with  my  umbrella,  had  I 
not  feared  such  a  course  would  bring  down  on  me  the  ire  of  their  inso- 
lent and  shameless  masters ;  and  I  thought  it  to  be  policy  to  allow 
the  dogs  to  pass  unpunished. 

I  confess  that  while  in  the  midst  of  these  lower  orders  of  the  Chinese, 
eouie  of  whom  in  groups  were  staring  at  us,  some  laughing  and  sooff- 
10* 


114  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

ing,  some  yelling  out  Fan-qui-loo  and  making  insulting  remarks,  and 
others  setting  their  dogs  on  us,  that  I  began  to  think  it  was  indeed  a 
hazardous  undertaking  ;  not  particularly  from  what  wo  did  encounter, 
but  from  what  we  might. 

We  hurried  along  this  street,  and  soon  found  ourselves  free,  and 
breathing  the  air  of  the  open  country.  We  now  met  very  few  people, 
and  the  wall  was  fully  exposed,  extending  a  long  way  ahead,  and  ris- 
ing and  falling  with  the  natural  undulations  of  the  ground.  On  our 
right,  nearly  parallel  with  the  wall,  but  leaving  a  wide  passage-way 
between,  was  a  deep  ravine,  in  the  lower  parts  of  which  might  occa- 
sionally be  seen  a  gardener's  cabin,  the  land  around  it  being  highly 
cultivated,  laid  out  into  little  squares,  and  bearing  rows  of  fresh, 
green  vegetables,  in  its  rich  black  soil.  The  laborers  raising  themselves 
up  and  resting  on  their  hoes,  and  the  women  and  children  filling  the 
doorway,  all  in  a  startled  attitude,  would  gaze  as  if  such  sights  were 
rarely  witnessed  by  them.  The  banks  of  the  ravine  were  wildly 
shaded  with  groves  of  bamboo  and  other  pretty  trees,  in  which  the 
birds  were  congregated,  warbling  their  songs.  Beyond  were  cultivated 
fields,  and  among  them  white  tombs  jutting  from  their  surface. 

A  mile  or  two  further  brought  us  to  an  angle  of  the  walls,  a  little 
way  from  which  was  a  good-sized  hill,  with  a  fort  on  its  top,  built  of 
stone,  in  the  form  of  a  circle.  Here  we  fell  in  with  our  party,  who 
had  given  up  seeing  us  to-day.  Chinese  military  companies  were  exer- 
cising about  the  fort,  and  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  their  jealou.sy 
was  some  excited  by  the  sudden  increase  of  the  foreign  group  from 
three  to  five. 

With  Mr.  Bridgeman  I  took  a  stroll  on  the  hill  among  the  soldiers, 
while  the  others  walked  at  a  little  distance  from  us.  A  mandarin 
colonel  or  general  was  sitting  in  his  sedan,  with  Chinese  pomposity 
(an  expressive  term  for  the  extreme  of  pomposity),  looking  on,  while 
the  soldiers  paraded  back  and  for.th  before  him.  When  we  passed  hia 
chair  ho  gave  a  slight  token  of  recognition  by  a  nod  of  the  head  ;  but 
it  was  so  eclipsed  by  his  manner,  drawing  himself  up  to  expand 
himself,  and  then  settling  his  chin  into  his  breast,  that  I  felt  like 
laughing. 

There  soon  began  a  commotion  in  the  fort,  and  the  turning  of 
Chinese  eyes  to  that  quarter  directed  ours  there  also.  They  were  hur- 
rying about  in  a  hall-frantic  manner,  with  excited  gesticulations  and 
impetuous  voices,  as  if  they  intended  in  some  way  to  give  us  a  sur- 
prise. The  black  mouths  of  their  cannon  were  pouting  out  from  two 
or  three  row.s  of  port-holes,  and  smoking  matches  were  in  the  soldiers' 
hands  ;  but  I  observed  that  our  party  were  together,  an.d  the  Chinese 
troops  in  such  relation  to  us  that  no  harm  could  come,  and  we  looked 
on  with  composure.  Flash !  gleamed  the  light  across  our  eyes  ;  and 
bang  !  whang  !  broke  into  our  ears,  as  the  reports  reechoed  from 
the  high  city  wall.  Flash  !  bang !  whang !  went  the  two  circles 
of  guns,  one  after  the  other  in  succession,  all  around  the  fort,  sound- 
ing like  sheet-iron  guns  of  a  large  calibre  ;  and  the  Chinese  turned 
their  self-conceited  leers  on  us,  Und  then  at  each  other,  with  expres- 
sions that  said, 


CANTON. SOLDIERS. SCENERY.  115 

"  How  wonderfully  must  all  this  noise  and  smoke  impress  these  out- 
side barbarians  with  the  greatness  of  the  military  operations  of  the 
Celestial  Empire  !  " 

Had  they  closely  watched  our  countenances,  they  might  have 
perceived  that  the  "  outside  barbarians  "  had  heard  guns  before. 

I  wished  to  go  inside  the  fort,  but  Dr.  B.  thought  we  had  better  not 
attempt  it,  as  their  feelings  of  jealousy  might  be  aroused  ;  and  by  this 
visit  they  might  be  better  conciliated  for  another.  The  troops  outside 
the  fort  were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  went  through  several 
Chinese  evolutions,  as  I  supposed  ;  for  I  could  not  make  out  what  they 
were  trying  to  do.  They  seemed  to  be  entangling  themselves  in  some 
sort  of  hieroglyphics,  or  figures,  like  the  characters  in  their  own  lan- 
guage. They  stepped  rolling  along  in  clumsy  black  and  white 
shoes,  that  raised  them  considerably  from  the  ground,  and  looked 
as  if  the  ligatures  of  their  knee-joints  were  of  India-rubber,  —  too 
elastic  to  give  the  necessary  support.  Their  movements  had  also  an 
air  of  arrogance.  The  side-way,  see-saw  motion  of  their  shoulders 
showed  their  self-satisfied  feelings  ;  and  they  looked  on  us  as  if  to  do  so 
was  an  act  of  condescension.  They  had  apparently  none  of  the  rigid 
discipline  of  European  soldiers,  but  observed  a  proper  respect  towards 
their  officers.  They  did  not  use  their  bows  and  arrows,  except  to  flourish 
them  by  spasmodic  actions  of  the  arms,  with  corresponding  grimaces. 
When  they  attempted  to  run,  it  was  as  if  weights  were  attached  to 
their  feet.  They  appeared  like  a  company  of  green,  overgrown  boys, 
out  on  a  frolic,  in  fantastic  dresses,  cocked  hats,  bagging  pants,  black 
leggins,  blue  frocks,  and  bows  and  arrows.  No  wonder  that  fifty 
English  soldiers  can  put  to  flight  a  thousand  of  the  Chinese. 

The  country,  viewed  from  this  elevation,  shows  a  surface  of 
uneven  land,  and  of  a  group  of  hills.  The  plain  is  the  parade-ground 
for  the  troops,  and  on  the  north  side  of  it  is  a  temple  dedicated  to 
the  large  number  of  people  who  perished  by  the  burning  of  a  theatre 
a  few  years  since.  The  uneven  land  is  generally  cultivated,  and  inter- 
spersed with  clumps  of  bamboo-trees.  These  clumps  are  about  half  a 
mile  or  a  mile  apart,  and  enclose  Chinese  hamlets  and  villages.  Inter- 
secting each  other,  they  appear  in  the  distance  like  a  bamboo  forest. 
The  hills  are  covered  with  white  tombs,  and  have  the  appearance  of 
freshly-dug  ground,  studded  with  blocks  of  white  marble.  Some  of  the 
distant  hills  are  larger,  and  seem  to  be  overspread  with  groves  of  pines 
and  other  foliage.  There  being  no  roads  through  the  country,  small 
white  foot-paths  are  the  only  substitutes.  These  wind  over  the  surface, 
and,  crossing  here  and  there,  form  various  figures,  which  contrast  pret- 
tily with  the  green  and  cultivated  fields. 

On  the  other  side,  to  the  south,  was  the  river  and  the  city  :  the 
glistening  river,  taking  a  serpentine  course  to  the  northward,  disap- 
peared among  the  mountains.  We  could  overlook  the  walls  and  the 
buildings  of  the  city,  but  could  observe  little  else  than  a  rusty,  irregu- 
lar, concave  plain  of  tiled  roofs,  corners  of  jutting  angles  and  horns, 
red  flag-posts  in  pairs  before  the  mandarins'  houses,  the  tops  of  a 
few  stores,  and,  towering  above  all,  widely  separated,  two  pagodas. 
Descending  the  hill,  we  pursued  our  path  with  the  walls  close  on  our 


116  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

left.  They  appear  to  be  about  thirty  feet*high,  and  in  thickness,  at 
the  base,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  narrowing  towards  the  top.  It  is  built 
of  square  and  oblong  blocks  of  sandstone,  from  one  to  two  feet  in 
length  and  thickness,  though  some  portions  are  partially  of  brick. 
The  external  face  is  smooth,  and  the  color,  by  exposure,  nearly  black. 
From  the  seams  were  growing  tufts  of  grass  and  flowering  plants  ; 
and,  in  some  places,  the  joints  were  opening  with  considerable-sized 
shrubs  and  small  trees.  Masses  of  vines  ran  up  from  the  ground  and 
spread  over  portions  of  the  wall  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet  or 
more,  and  occasionally  reaching  to  the  top.  Yellowish  moss,  dried  and 
formed  into  ragged  patches,  interspersed  here  and  there,  gave  it  an 
ancient  aspect.  A  line  of  square  embrasures,  at  intervals,  cut  the 
thin  parapets  on  the  top  ;  and  square  towers,  some  several  stories  high, 
with  their  curved  and  angular  roofs,  rose  above  the  wall,  and  marked 
its  course  as  it  penetrated  the  city  beyond  our  sight. 

Entering  the  suburbs  of  the  city  on  the  side  opposite  to  that  we  left, 
we  made  our  way  without  any  particular  interference.  Every  few 
moments  we  met  Chinese,  who  passed,  giving  us  scrutinizing  glances  and 
comments,  or  stopping  to  talk  with  each  other  and  gazing  after  us.  But 
when  we  came  into  the  more  thickly-settled  parts,  our  position  was  less 
comfortable.  In  this  quarter  they  seemed  stirred  up  by  surprise,  curi- 
osity, jealousy  or  hostility,  and  nocked  around,  some  running  towards 
us  and  some  from,  according  to  their  courage,  like  bees  swarming  in 
and  out  of  an  overturned  hive.  A  crowd  of  boys  and  idlers  followed, 
crying  out  various  things,  and  some  hooting  at  us.  The  inmates  of 
the  houses  and  shops  ran  into  the  street  or  filled  their  doors.  Women 
and  timid  girls  peeped  out  at  us,  and,  after  we  had  passed,  came  into  the 
street  and  gazed  at  us  till  lost  to  their  sight.  Lank-sided  dogs,  aroused 
by  the  general  clatter,  leaped  out  with  a  spasmodic  bound  ;  and, 
catching  sight  of  us,  gave  vent  to  their  emotions  by  nervous  starts  and 
choking  yelps.  In  the  distance  ahead  the  doors  of  matting,  which 
hung  as  screens,  flew  open,  one  after  the  other,  on  each  side  of  the 
street,  and  the  inhabitants,  with  excited  steps,  appeared  outside  ;  and 
hearing  the  cry  wafted  along  that  "  the  Fanquies  were  coming,"  they 
would  stop  short,  lean  forward,  whirl  their  heads  in  diS'erent  ways,  to 
gather,  by  the  eye  or  ear,  what  could  be  the  mystery  of  the  noise  ; 
and,  catching  sight  of  us,  would  stand  like  statues,  looking  with  intense 
eagerness  till  we  came  along,  and  then  would  join  in  with  the  'crowd 
that  followed.  And  from  the  cross  streets  they  came  running  in  to  get  a 
sight  at  us,  as  if  they  had  anticipated  our  passing.  Our  safety  seemed 
to  depend  on  our  speed,  and  we  walked  briskly  forward  to  keep  ahead 
of  the  crowd,  to  prevent  their  blocking  up  our  way,  and  so  col- 
lecting as  to  act  in  concert  against  us.  It  was  difficult  to  keep 
together,  from  the  Chinese  crowding  between  us  ;  those  forward  could 
go  along  almost  without  obstruction,  while  the  others  were  pushed 
further  and  further  behind.  Dr.  B.,  with  his  daughter,  led  the  way, 
the  rest  of  us  following  as  fast  as  we  could  best  manage.  Several 
times,  like  my  companions,  I  found  myself  in  the  rear  ;  and,  in  spite 
of  my  best  efforts,  two  or  three  times  all  of  the  party  were  out  of  sight, 
and  nothing  to  be  seen  but  heads  and  shoulders  of  the  Chinamen  bolore 


CANTON. A    LADY    PROTECTOR.  117 

me.  The  Chinese  were  not  to  be  run  over,  nor  violently  pushed  aside, 
by  foreigners.  I  pressed  forward,  trying  to  squeeze  by  them  with  a 
gentle  force  ;  but  the  throng  were  too  closely  wedged  in  for  me  to  make 
much  impression  upon  them.  Reflecting  that  my  friends  might  have 
turned  to  the  right  or  left  into  some  other  streets,  that  I  did  not  know 
one  foot  of  the  way,  and  that,  if  lost,  I  could  not  speak  a  word  of 
Chinese  to  inquire  the  direction,  I  concluded  that  I  must  go  through  the 
crowd  in  some  way  or  other  —  easily  if  possible,  but  that  I  must  go 
through.  I  knew  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  and,  lowering  my 
shoulders,  I  forced  myself  resolutely  among  them,  though  it  probably 
seemed  to  them  rather  roughly.  Some  turned  on  me  an  expression  of 
resentment,  but  I  patted  lightly  on  their  shoulders,  and,  making  a 
complication  of  signs,  and  pointing  ahead,  they  smiled  ;  and,  while 
they  were  endeavoring  to  make  out  what  I  could  mean,  I  pressed  on 
beyond  their  reach. 

Continuing  to  crowd,  and  at  the  same  time  to  conciliate,  two  of 
the  European  hats  at  length  appeared  in  the  distance,  bobbing  up 
and  down  among  the  shaved  and  shining  heads  of  the  Chinese.  I  now 
could  go  on  faster,  the  different  steps  of  the  process  having  become 
somewhat  mechanical.  I  would  iirst  present  the  shoulder  sideways, 
and  below  two  other  shoulders, —  with  one  impulse  go  through,  and 
while  presenting  the  shoulder  for  a  second  push,  turn  the  head  to 
make  a  few  mystical  signs,  and  go  on.  Having  again  nearly  over- 
taken the  party,  Dr.  B.,  observing  the  course  of  things,  waited  a  little, 
put  himself  behind,  and,  by  a  few  words,  now  and  then,  to  us  and  to  the 
Chinese,  managed  to  keep  us  together  much  better.  It  sounded  queerly, 
amid  the  confused  Chinese  jargon,  to  hear  distinctly  the  English  words, 

•'  Keep  right  along !  "  "  Keep  right  along  there  !  "  "  Don't  stop  !  " 
"  Go  one  side  or  the  other  ;  don't  let  them  get  between  you."  "  Turn 
to  the  right !  turn  to  the  right  there  !  Yes,  yes,  that 's  the  street,"  &c. 

And  then  a  few  words  spoken  to  the  Chinese,  in  their  own  language, 
had  a  wonderful  effect  on  them. 

I  think  it  was  a  good  deal  of  protection  to  have  a  lady  as  one  of  the 
party,  although  it  is  usually  not  so  considered.  The  ladies  may 
sometimes  bo  a  protection  to  gentlemen,  as  well  as  gentlemen  always 
to  the  ladies.  Miss  B.  went  along  more  freely  than  the  rest  of  us, 
though  the  Chinese  manifested  great  curiosity  to  see  her.  They  made 
way  for  her  where  they  would  not  for  us,  seeming  to  pay  a  certain 
deference  to  the  party  on  account  of  her.  As  we  drew  near  home  we 
advanced  with  less  interruption,  and  arrived  safely  at  the  factories 
before  noon. 

Wednesday,  October  \th.  — Mr.  R.  left  me  a  note  saying  that  he 
was  to  sail  for  America  to-morrow  by  the  "  Sam  Russell," — was 
going  now  to  VVhampoa,  and  asked  me  to  come  down  and  see  him  off. 
Learning  that  the  vessel  would  not  leave  for  several  days,  and  having 
a  bad  cold,  I  remained  at  my  own  room  and  busied  myself  in  writing 
letters  to  send  home  by  him. 

There  were  about  a  dozen  of  the  younger  officers  from  the 
"  Plymouth  "  and  "  Treble  "  to  dine  here  at  Acowo's  to-day.  They 
were  very  agreeable,  and  I  enjoyed  their  lively  society  much.  Their 


118  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

vessels  lie  at  Whampoa,  and  they  came  up  in  a  boat.  They  gave  quite 
a  lively  air  to  the  hotel,  and  old  Acowo  nad  to  reinforce  his  army  of 
servants  ;  and  the  day  turned  out  a  holiday  to  me,  cutting  off  the  most 
of  my  letter-writing  till  evening.  At  twelve  last  night  I  made  my 
way  to  my  couch  through  a  living  atmosphere  of  mosquitoes.  The 
weather  was  very  warm,  and  I  lay  with  a  current  of  air  drawing 
through  the  door  and  windows  ;  but  the  weather  suddenly  changed 
and  became  quite  cold,  and  I,  rather  than  get  up  and  shut  the  win- 
dows, and  so  run  the  risk  of  letting  the  mosquitoes  into  the  net,  am 
to-day  suffering  the  effects  of  a  severe  cold  which  I  took. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

Canton,  Oct. 

My  DEAR  SISTER  :  To-day  I  determined  to  remove  from  the  Chinese 
hotel  and  go  to  the  American.  It  was  not  yet  opened,  but  I  had  seen 
it,  and  knew  the  proprietor.  I  went,  "  bag  and  baggage,"  and  told 
Mr.  Hunt  that  I  was  coming,  even  if  I  had  to  sleep  on  the  floor.  I 
was  the  first  one  there,  and  of  course  made  my  selection  of  the  rooms, 
although  it  was  large  enough  for  half  a  dozen.  Mr.  Moses,  returning 
home  from  Whampoa  and  finding  me  gone,  declared  he  would  not 
stay  alone  ;  and  so,  settling  his  bills,  he  left  Acowo,  who  had  another 
long  face  at  the  losses  he  was  experiencing.  Acowo  told  us,  with  a 
forced  smile,  and  very  dryly, 

"  Bum  bye  you  kum  my  housy  second  teem,"  —  that  is,  you  will 
have  to  come  to  my  house  to  stay  again.  But  I  did  not  suppose  his 
words  would  prove  correct. 

This  forenoon,  while  I  was  moving  and  all  in  confusion,  my  boy 
came  in  and  said, 

"  Two  piecy  mann  have  got  one  teem,"  meaning  that  there  were 
two  gentlemen  together  to  see  me. 

I  told  him  to  ask  them  to  sit  down  in  the  hall ;  but  before  I  had 
finished  the  head  servant  showed  them  in,  —  Commodore  Geisenger 
and  Capt.  Glynn,  of  the  "  Plymouth."  It  was  the  worst-looking  room 
that  I  had  ever  seen,  and  I  felt  not  a  little  embarrassed  on  their 
account.  It  was  as  cheerless  as  an  old  store-room.  However,  I  made 
the  best  of  it,  and  they,  men  of  the  world,  could  sit  down  in  chairs 
one  of  which  was  broken,  while  I  occupied  a  camphor-chest ;  and 
they  made  themselves  as  agreeable  as  it"  they  had  been  in  a  large 
drawing-room,  furnished  witli  Brussels,  damasks,  and  marbles.  Com. 
G.'s  son  I  had  known  as  a  boy  at  school  in  Northboro,  Mass., 
and  this  was  the  first  time  I  had  heard  from  him  since  then,  and 
the  first  time  I  had  seen  his  father  ;  and  that  in  a  country  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  globe.  One  of  my  greatest  pleasures  is  to  meet  or 
hear  of  those  with  whom  I  have  spent  any  of  the  happy  years  of  boy- 
hood. I  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  half-hour,  notwithstanding  my  cold, 
and  the  miserable,  dark,  .unfurnished  chamber  in  which  I  had  to 
receive  company. 

In  the  evening  several  naval  officers  from  the  men-of-war  came  in  at  the 
new  American  hotel  to  stop  for  the  night.  They  preferred  to  remain  and 
take  such  accommodations  as  they  could  get,  rather  than  to  go  to 


CANTON. HONAM  TEMPLE.  119 

the  Chinese  hotel.  I  shared  iny  room  with  two  of  them,  and  my  bed 
with  Mr.  M.  In  different  ways  Mr.  Hunt  contrived  to  accommodate 
them  all.  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Warrington,  of  Washing- 
ton, Dr.  Brooks  and  Dr.  Ober,  of  Philadelphia. 

Arose  at  six  o'clock  this  morning,  and,  partaking  of  coffee  together, 
set  off  with  a  party  enlisted  last  evening  for  a  visit  to  Honam 
Temple.  Mr.  Meredith,  who  resides  in  Canton,  went  with  us,  and 
showed  us  around.  Dr.  Brooks,  Mr.  Warrington,  Dr.  Ober,  Mr. 
Hanks,  Mr.  Goldsboro  (all  of  the  "  Plymouth  "),  and  myself,  com- 
posed the  remainder  of  the  company.  A  sampan  threaded  its  way 
through  the  boats,  and  landed  us  on  a  few  stone  steps  at  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  within  sight  of  the  factories.  Ascending  the  steps, 
we  walked  up  a  gently-inclined  avenue,  paved  with  flat  stones.  It 
was  prettily  shaded  with  two  rows  of  large  and  ancient  banian-trees, 
and  arose  by  several  successive  terraces,  each  two  or  three  feet  above 
the  other.  Near  the  landing-place  the  fragments  of  a  big  cannon  lay 
on  the  ground.  It  burst,  we  were  told,  during  the  war  with  the 
English.  The  Chinese  were  excited,  and  probably  put  in  "  too  much 
powder ;  "  and  the  consequence  was  that  it  exploded,  and  killed  three 
or  four  of  their  own  men.  They  have  never  allowed  the  pieces  to  be 
moved  from  the  original  spot  in  which  they  fell,  and  they  regard 
them  with  superstitious  veneration.  Continuing  up  the  steps  of  the 
terraces,  we  came  to  a  large  gateway,  like  a  building  with  a  passage 
through,  or  more  like  a  small  railroad  station  through  which  the  cars 
pass.  Within,  on  each  side,  are  immense  human  figures  in  a  sitting 
posture.  They  are,  I  should  judge,  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  consti- 
tute the  guardians  of  the  gateway.  They  are  painted  and  gilded  in  a 
fantastic  manner,  and  curiously  ornamented.  They  are  represented  as 
very  fat,  with  immense  chests  and  abdomens,  which  seem  to  run  into 
each  other.  Their  countenances  indicated  all  the  importance  of  a 
thin-faced  man,  who,  wishing  to  appear  as  great  as  his  neighbor,  had 
forced  out  his  chucks  with  air.  One  or  two  had  black  faces  and 
demon-like  expressions,  savage  and  Jupiter-like,  as  if  with  their 
drawn  weapons  they  could  annihilate  us  in  a  moment  of  time.  It 
would  not  be  strange  if  we  were  surprised  and  startled,  or  even  a  little 
frightened,  when  we  beheld  for  the  first  moment  such  awful-looking 
personages,  and  in  such  threatening  attitudes,  peering  down  on  us. 

Passing  on,  we  visited  several  buildings,  full  of  the  ugliest-looking 
images,  large  and  small,  and  turned  a  multitude  of  abrupt  angles  to 
get  to  the  rooms.  In  the  principal  part  of  the  temple,  near  the  centre, 
there  were  three  idols,  perhaps  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  of  corre- 
sponding size ;  and  around  the  outside  a  row  of  smaller  ones,  a  little 
larger  than  the  size  of  a  man,  most  of  which  were  highly  gilded.  They 
all  had  small  altars  before  them,  with  incense-sticks  burning.  On  the 
little  stools  in  front  of  the  large  idols  were  two  worshippers  going 
through  their  devotions,  —  bowing,  kneeling,  and  bumping  their  heads 
over  on  to  the  paved  floor.  One  poor  Chinese  woman  was  chinchining 
(supplicating)  the  interposition  of  the  idols  in  behalf  of  her  sick  husband. 
A  priest  was  with  her,  giving  her  the  necessary  directions ;  and  she 


120  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

performed  her  devotions  as  if  with  faith  in  the  power  of  the  idol  to 
impart  healing  aid  for  his  restoration. 

The  priests  were  miserable,  small,  squalid-looking  beings,  coarsely 
and  poorly  dressed,  and  with  about  a  week's  crop  of  bristling  hair 
growing  on  their  shaved  heads.  They  looked  as  intelligent  as  faces 
carved  out  of  a  pine  board,  and  their  faces  and  hands  did  not  appear 
to  have  been  washed  for  three  months.  1  at  first  took  them  for  beg- 
gars, and  supposed  it  was  a  privilege  granted  them  to  show  strangers 
about  for  the  little  that  might  be  given  to  them.  They  receive  their 
fees  from  the  worshippers,  the  amount  of  which  depends  on  their 
wealth  and  the  importance  of  the  prayers. 

On  one  side,  at  the  end  of  a  long,  angular  passage,  were  pens  where 
they  kept  their  sacred  animals.  These  consisted  of  several  hogs,  so 
large,  fat  and  old,  that  they  could  scarcely  rise  on  their  feet,  —  one 
of  them  could  not,  and  eat  lying  down,  —  and  a  number  of  geese, 
which  have  some  peculiarity  of  form,  color,  or  something  else.  They 
are  kept  and  fattened  here  (their  owners  paying  for  their  keeping) 
until  they  die,  when  they  are  buried  in  the  grounds  with  some  cere- 
mony, and  are  never  allowed  to  be  used  for  food. 

The  grounds  of  the  temple,  and  various  buildings  attached,  and  the 
garden  adjoining,  occupy  an  area  of  twelve  or  fifteen  acres.  On  one 
side  of  the  temple  is  an  open  space,  where  there  is  a  group  of  hand- 
some tombs.  The  priest  who  conducted  us  around  took  us  across  a 
part  of  the  garden  ;  but,  as  he  could  not  speak  English,  nor  we  Chinese, 
we  could  only  see.  As  we  could  not  ask  questions,  we  did  not 
examine  so  much  as  we  should  have  liked.  In  the  midst  of  the 
tombs  was  a  place  for  the  burning  of  the  bodies  of  the  priests  after 
death,  which  is  the  manner  of  disposing  of  their  remains.  It  was 
built  of  brick,  and  large  enough  to  contain  a  chair,  into  which  the 
body  is  placed,  and  supported  by  brickwork  underneath.  When  all 
is  ready,  the  fagots  and  other  combustible  materials  are  placed  under 
the  body,  and  the  torch  is  applied.  The  fire  is  kept  replenished  until 
all  is  consumed  ;  or  all  but  some  portions  of  the  bones,  which  may 
happen  to  remain.  These  are  carefully  gathered  up  and  deposited  in 
earthen  pots,  and  all  the  ashes  are  taken  out  and  turned  into  an 
opening  in  the  top  of  a  tomb-like  receptacle,  where  they  are  pre- 
served. 

We  returned  to  the  hotel  and  breakfasted  at  nine  o'clock,  and  had 
a  lively  time  in  commenting  on  the  queer  things  of  the  Honam 
Temple. 

After  breakfast,  with  Dr.  Brooks,  under  the  direction  of  our  boys, 
I  took  a  stroll  through  several  different  streets  beyond  the  fac- 
tories. There  were  a  great  many  oddities  to  be  seen  in  the  shops, 
especially  in  "  Curiosity-street."  The  doctor  manifested  much  curi- 
osity, and  had  many  curious  comments  to  make.  When  he  came 
upon  something  particularly  different  from  our  American  side  of  the 
globe,  his  countenance  would  light  up,  and,  turning  the  article  over 
and  over,  he  would  exclaim,  in  heartfelt  promptings, 

"  Well,  is  n't  that  curious?  Don't  you  think  that  is  beautiful? 
Is  n't  it  capital?  "  and,  holding  it  a  little  further  off,  "  It  is  superb  ! 


CANTON.  —  LOOKING-GLASS-STREET.  121 

Well,  I  do  think  the  Chinese  are  the  most  ingenious  people  at  carving 
in  the  world.  I  must  take  one  ftf  these  home,"  &c. 

The  Chinese,  in  the  mean  time,  laughed,  and,  observing  the  interest 
he  took  in  their  works,  were  delighted  to  show  him  all  in  the  shop. 
It  was  late  when  we  reached  home,  quite  weary.  All  the  time  we 
were  out  crowds  of  Chinamen  gathered  around  to  look  at  us. 

The  interview  of  the  Chinese  and  American  government  officials  — 
Governor  Su  and  the  U.  S.  Commissioner,  Mr.  Davis  —  took  place 
to-day.  Dr.  Parker,  the  American  Consul  (Mr.  Forbes),  and  the 
officers  of  the  "  Plymouth  "  and  "  Preble,"  were  present.  I  should 
have  liked  much  to  have  been  there  ;  but  no  invitations  were  extended  to 
private  individuals,  it  being  entirely  diplomatic.  Some  of  the  officers 
gave  amusing  accounts  of  the  Chinese,  with  their  chopsticks ;  and 
made  their  observations  on  the  numerous  dishes  of  soups  and  meats, 
the  character  of  which,  according  to  their  taste,  was  somewhat  ques- 
tionable. There  were  forty  courses  of  soups,  meats,  fruits  and  sweet- 
meats, none  of  wrhich  would  it  do  to  pass  untasted.  All  expressed 
themselves  highly  pleased  with  their  visit. 

October  "th. — Mr.  B.  called  after  breakfast,  and  conducted  a  small 
party  of  us  to  "  Looking-glass-street."  Although  Dr.  Brooks  and  I 
had  been  there  yesterday,  we  wished  to  go  again  to-day ;  and  sev- 
eral others,  hearing  the  doctor's  glowing  account,  wished  to  join 
us,  and  we  made  a  party  of  ten.  I  was  afraid  it  was  too  large 
a  number  for  the  sensitiveness  of  the  Chinese,  but  I  believe  it  excited 
their  curiosity  only  a  little  more  to  see  so  many  foreigners  together  ; 
and  the  shopkeepers  themselves,  of  course,  would  not  object.  Look- 
ing-glass-street is  a  street  of  shops  filled  with  mirrors,  fancy-boxes, 
pictures  of  the  Chinese  painted  on  glass,  various  kinds  of  glass  lan- 
terns and  lamp-shades,  painted  with  pretty  landscapes  and  Chinese 
characters.  These  were  put  together  in  different  torms,  and  sizes, 
and  styles,  very  ornamental  and  attractive.  It  seemed  like  a  museum, 
and  we  streamed  along  like  a  flock  of  strange  birds,  feasting  our 
curious  eyes.  When  we  began  to  examine  in  one  shop  we  felt  reluc- 
tant to  leave  it,  and  each  one  wished  to  bring  away  a  specimen  of 
every  article  it  contained.  We  spent  several  hours  here,  and  the 
shopkeepers  were  very  agreeable,  never  tired  of  showing  their  goods, 
were  never  irritated  or  disappointed  because  we  did  not  buy,  and  had 
as  pleasant  a  smile  when  we  left  as  when  we  came  in.  All  of  us 
made  some  purchases,  and  left  the  articles  to  be  sent  up  and  paid  for 
at  the  hotel.  I  should  judge  that  a  good  understanding  existed 
between  our  boys  and  the  shopkeepers  ;  probably  they  share  the  profits 
to  some  extent  with  each  other.  When  we  bought  anything  the  boys 
manifested  the  kind  of  interest  that  denoted  they  were  to  get  some- 
thing by  it. 

I  met  Captain  Palmer,  of  the  "  Sam  Russell."  He  leaves  Whampoa 
for  America,  but  I  shall  not  be  able  to  go  down  to  see  my  friends  off, 
and  have  sent  a  note  to  Mr.  R.  with  an  apology,  and  a  fan  to  hia 
little  girl,  of  whom  I  had  heard  him  speak  much  during  the  voyage. 

Mr.  B.  took  us  also  to  a  tea  manufacturing  establishment  across 
the  river.  This  comprises  an  extensive  group  of  buildings,  containing 
11 


122  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

various  rooms  and  large  halls.  These  were  filled  with  men  and 
women,  boys  and  girls,  engaged  in  their  various  departments.  Some 
of  them  were  planting  and  stirring  with  the  hand  the  crackling  leaves 
in  the  furnaces  ;  others  sitting  at  long  tables,  assorting  the  leaves, 
culling,  sifting  them,  &c.  There  are,  I  am  told,  thousands  of  persons 
connected  with  this  establishment,  who  work  for  a  few  cents  a  day. 
The  tea-leaves  are  not  rolled  singly  by  hand,  but  are  curled  by  the 
action  of  heat.  We  saw  the  process  of  coloring  green  tea,  about 
which  they  manifested  no  secrecy,  which  was  done  while  the  leaves 
were  being  heated  for  the  last  time. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

VISIT    TO    THE    COUNTRY    RESIDENCES    OF    POWTINQUA    AND    HOWQrA. 

EXECUTION     OF     CRIMINALS. NOISY     CRIES     OF     CHINESE. TYPHOON, 

AND    OVERFLOWING    OF    THE   RIVER. 

THIS  morning  Mr.  Warrington,  Mr.  Moses,  another  gentleman  and 
myself,  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Hunt,  went  to  visit  Powtinqua's 
residence.  Powtinqua  was  a  rich  tea-merchant,  and  had  a  country- 
seat  up  the  Canton  river.  We  are  told  he  is  dead,  and  his  son-,  also 
called  Powtinqua,  is  in  prison  for  the  debts  of  his  father.  It  is  a 
singular  system  that  holds  the  children  responsible  for  the  debts  of 
their  father  ;  but  nothing  is  too  strange  or  singular  for  the  Chinese. 
The  glory,  then,  in  the  name  of  Powtinqua,  we  may  suppose,  has 
departed,  and  it  is  remembered  and  spoken  of  for  what  it  once  was. 

The  names  of  Powtinqua  and  Howqua  are  here  what  those  of  Abbot 
Lawrence,  Peter  C.  Brooks,  Mr.  Gushing,  &c.,  are  with  us.  But  the 
procedures  of  the  mandarins  are  such  that  the  rich  man  is  not  secure 
of  remaining  rich  for  any  length  of  time.  Their  custom  of  "  squeez- 
ing," as  it  is  called,  often  forces  them  to  part  with  their  wealth.  There 
is,  however,  such  a  thing  as  being  so  encased  in  silver  that  the  squeez- 
ing process  will  produce  no  destructive  injury.  During  the  war  with 
the  English,  money  was  needed,  and  the  screws  were  often  applied  to 
Howqua  and  Powtinqua.  At  last  Powtinqua,  unable  longer  to  bear 
the  pressure,  became  bankrupt  and  was  ruined,  while  Howqua  con- 
tinued to  hold  out,  and  is  now  in  prosperity.  The  mandarins  carry  out 
some  of  their  principles  as  foolishly  as  the  old  woman  in  -lEsop's  fable 


COUNTRY    RESIDENCES    OF    POWTINQUA    AND    HOWQUA.  123 

who  had  the  goose  which  laid  every  day  a  golden  egg.  Thinking  to 
find  many  golden  eggs  within  her,  she  killed  the  goose,  and,  finding 
none,  lost  all. 

We  took  a  sampan,  and,  sailing  up  the  river  a  few  miles,  and  turn- 
ing into  a  little  creek  upon  the  right,  soon  came  to  the  place.  The 
grounds  were  large,  laid  out  prettily  and  with  good  taste.  Narrow 
walks,  hedged  with  vases  of  flowers,  extended  in  various  directions. 
Artificial  hills  were  covered  with  plants,  shrubbery  and  trees,  inter- 
mingled with  rocks  ;  and  among  these  were  smaller  paths  winding  and 
leading  to  the  highest  parts.  Underneath  were  subterranean  passages, 
so  constructed  as  to  represent  grottoes,  and  wild,  rocky  places  washed 
by  the  sea.  The  house  was  built  upon  stone  posts,  and  situated  in 
the  centre  of  an  artificial  fish-pond.  Railed  walks,  raised  on  piles 
above  the  water,  led  to  it  from  two  sides.  Arched  bridges,  as  if 
made  for  ornament,  but  probably  to  allow  boats  to  pass  under,  con- 
nected some  of  the  walks.  The  house  was  unoccupied,  and,  from 
neglect,  was  fast  becoming  dilapidated.  We  looked  into  the  windows, 
and  saw  some  of  the  unique  furniture  still  remaining  around  the 
rooms.  Paintings  and  pictures  still  hung  on  the  walls,  and  a  few 
carved  ornaments  were  yet  observable.  The  house  was  one  story, 
designed  and  constructed  purely  in  Chinese  style. 

Leaving  Powtinqua's,  we  crossed  the  river  to  the  residence  of  How- 
qua,  who,  I  believe,  is  the  wealthiest  tea-merchant  among  the  Chinese. 
On  the  way  we  partook  of  our  lunch  of  cold  fowl  and  ham,  &c.,  and 
stopped  a  little  at  the  Fah-Tee  gardens,  —  extensive  grounds  of  shrubs 
and  flowers.  The  elder  Howqua  is  dead,  and  his  son  occupies  the 
place,  though  absent  now.  As  we  drew  near  the  house,  one  of  our 
boatmen  intimidated  us  somewhat  by  telling  us,  with  a  long  face,  that 
it  would  not  answer  to  enter  the  dwelling  ;  that  Howqua's  wife  was 
alone  in  the  house,  and  that  we  should  be  killed  if  we  persisted.  Mr. 
Hunt  did  not  believe  any  such  thing,  and  we  continued  on.  We  came 
to  the  gateway,  and  found  the  doors  that  opened  into  the  grounds 
closed.  On  knocking  several  times,  and  then  pounding,  a  Chinaman 
appeared.  He  opened  the  door  far  enough  to  see  us,  and  shook  his 
head.  Mr.  H.  took  from  his  pocket  a  piece  of  silver,  and  held  it  up 
before  him ;  the  gate  immediately  opened  wide  enough,  and  we  entered. 
The  view  which  broke  on  us  was  the  most  beautiful  of  anything  which 
we  had  seen  or  could  have  imagined  in  this  region.  Before  the  unique 
Chinese  buildings  spread  out  an  expanse  of  green  shrubbery,  broken 
here  and  there  by  glistening  mirrors  of  water,  long  walks  and  hedges 


124  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

intersecting  at  right  angles,  and  forming  squares  and  oblongs  ;  and 
long  lines  of  flowers,  in  green-glazed  vases,  lined  pretty  little  avenues, 
through  which  it  was  delightful  to  walk.  The  artificial  arched  bridge 
of  wood,  the  small  ponds  teeming  with  fish,  and  the  broad-leafed  lotus- 
plants  floating,  all  added  to  the  beauty  and  variety  of  the  scene. 

We  entered  the  house,  and  passed  through  the  different  rooms, 
which  were  of  a  small  size,  and  of  a  style  that  would  not  suit  our 
taste  at  all.  We  came  away  unfrightened  by  the  sight  of  Howqua's 
wife,  for  there  was  no  one  in  the  house  but  a  number  of  incn-servants, 
to  whom  we  paid  a  small  fee,  —  not  because  they  had  done  anything 
for  us,  but  because  they  seemed  to  expect  something.  I  do  not  believe 
that  Howqua  keeps  his  wives  here,  but  maintains  this  more  to  have  a 
pretty  place  to  entertain  his  foreign  friends. 

I  observed  to-day,  established  in  front  of  the  hotel,  three  Chinese 
doctors,  one  fortune-teller,  one  gambler,  and  a  dentist.  The  doctors 
had  among  their  medicines  charms  of  different  kinds,  several  dried 
snakes,  and  one  live  snake.  The  dentist  had  a  string  of  teeth,  two 
yards  in  length,  suspended  from  his  neck.  They  held  forth  in  bom- 
bastic language,  each  explaining  to  a  waiting  crowd  his  wonderful 
skill.  The  gambler  and  fortune-teller  had  their  portable  tables,  dice, 
and  cards,  &c.  The  dentists  pretend  to  make  some  application  to  the 
teeth  which  causes  them  to  fall  out ;  but  I  believe  it  is  an  acid  that 
causes  the  crowns  to  crumble  away,  leaving  the  roots  below  the  gums. 
The  doctors  had  their  medicines,  salves,  ointments,  &c.,  spread 
around  them,  while  they  were  seated  in  the  midst  of  it  all. 

LETTER  TO  A   BROTHER-IN-LAW. 

Canton,  China,  October  Qth. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR  F :   This  was  a  rainy  and  cold  day,  although 

in  October,  and  in  twenty-three  degrees  of  latitude, —  about  the  same 
as  New  Orleans  or  Calcutta.  Most  persons  had  to  make  a  change  of 
dress,  and  many  with  thick  coats  and  pants  were  shivering.  Such 
weather  is  rather  unusual  here.  I  have  been  busy  a  part  of  the  day, 
trying  to  prepare  some  tooth-powder,  as  I  had  promised.  I  find  much 
difficulty  in  making  the  Chinese  understand  me,  and  they  stand  and 
laugh  like  idiots.  I  am  inclined,  at  times,  to  make  them  some  demon- 
stration for  their  impudence.  I  am  almost  always  sure,  when  I  go 
out  to  make  a  purchase,  to  bring  home  something  that  I  did  not  go 
after,  and  to  leave  things  that  I  did  go  for.  Not  being  able  to  find  the 
right  articles,  I  have  to  take  the  next  best,  and  I  have  to  pay  four 
times  the  amount  that  the  Chinese  pay  for  the  same.  But  they  will 
not  deceive  me  after  a  while. 


CANTON.  —  WUN-CHUNG'S  PICTURE.  125 

Our  friend  Dr.  B.,  of  the  "  Plymouth,"  while  at  the  meeting  of 
Mr.  Davis  with  Governor  Su  at  Howqua's,  on  Friday  last,  was  admir- 
ing a  large  picture  which  hung  in  the  room  where  they  had  dined. 
Howqua,  observing  him,  offered  to  present  it  to  him,  which  waa 
accepted.  It  was  to  be  sent  the  next  {lay  (Saturday).  This  afternoon 
a  Chinaman  brought  in  a  large  picture,  which  the  doctor,  supposing  it 
to  be  the  picture  from  Howqua,  was  much  pleased  at  receiving  ;  for  he 
had  been  very  anxious,  fearing  that  it  would  not  arrive  before  his 
departure  by  the  steamboat.  He  quickly  gave  the  Chinaman  a  dollar 
for  his  trouble,  which  the  man  received  with  many  bows.  Then  the 
doctor  commenced  explaining  the  figures,  and  commenting  to  us  upon 
the  beauty  of  the  picture.  But  the  man  who  brought  it  soon  inter- 
rupted, saying, 

"  Fifty  dollars." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor  ;  "  I  would  not  take  fifty  dollars  for  it ;  this 
is  a  present  from  Howqua." 

Then,  holding  it  up  to  the  light  and  examining  a  little  more,  he 
turned,  addressing  the  Chinaman, 

"  Why,  this  does  not  look  like  the  picture  ;  where  did  you  get  this  ? 
Why,  let  me  see  ;  what  is  your  name  ?  Is  your  name  Howqua  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  man  ;  "  my  name  is  Wun-chung." 

"  0  !  "  resumed  the  doctor,  "  this  is  not  the  picture ;  you  are  not 
the  man.  I  do  not  want  this.  Here,  take  it ;  give  me  back  the 
money." 

The  Chinaman  was  a  painter,  and,  having  a  picture  much  like  How- 
qua's, was,  perhaps,  sent  by  Howqua  or  his  servants  to  the  doctor, 
under  the  belief  that  the  difference  would  not  be  discovered,  and  the 
man  would  sell  his  picture  for  fifty  dollars.  But  Wun-chung  took  his 
picture,  paid  back  the  dollar,  and  went  away  laughing.  Whether 
Howqua  intended  or  forgot  to  send  the  picture,  we  did  not  know  ;  cer- 
tainly he  neglected  to  do  so.  But  we  all  had  a  merry  laugh  at  the 
joke  on  the  doctor,  and  the  doctor  laughed  as  heartily  as  any  of  us 
that  he  had  detected  the  man  before  he  had  paid  him  the  fifty  dollars. 
Occasionally,  now,  as  we  are  sitting  at  the  table  or  in  the  veranda  of 
the  hotel,  or  are  walking  through  the  streets,  we  have  a  good-natured 
laugh  and  mutual  pleasantry  with  the  doctor  respecting  "  Howqua's 
picture." 

Wednesday,  October  \\th. —  Yesterday  was  a  cold  and  unpleasant 
day,  much  like  one  of  our  spring  days  in  New  England  when  an 
easterly  wind  prevails.  I  had  a  pleasant  call  from  Commodore  G., 
and  enjoyed  an  interesting  conversation  with  him. 

Thursday,  October  12th. —  I  was  up  at  half-past  six  to  keep  an 
engagement  with  Rev.  Mr.  Roberts  to  breakfast  with  him.  He  called 
for  me  at  half-past  seven,  and  I  was  ready.  He  had  a  boat  at  the 
American  garden,  in  which  we  went  to  his  house,  near  two  miles  down 
the  river.  We  visited  before  breakfast  the  execution  ground,  which 
was  only  a  short  distance.  This  was  nothing  more  than  a  vacant  lot 
of  ground,  about  twenty  feet  wide,  and  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  long. 
Some  Chinese  carpenters  occupied  it  in  part  at  this  time  ;  it  was  used 
also  for  drying  pottery  ware,  which  had  to  be  cleared  out  at  the 
11* 


126  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

of  an  execution.  There  are  three  gates  to  it,  through  which  the  crowd 
cannot  enter.  The  criminals  kneel  in  a  row,  with  their  heads  bent 
over  towards  the  ground.  Ba_ck  of  each  man  stands  one  holding  their 
hands,  which  are  fastened  behind.  At  the  signal,  the  executioner 
advances  with  a  cutlass,  and  by  one  blow  on  the  back  of  the  neck 
severs  the  head  from  the  body.  If  he  should  miss  the  mark,  he  does 
not  repeat  the  blow,  but  the  criminal  is  remanded  for  a  new  trial,  on 
account  of  the  superstitious  belief  that  some  superhuman  power  had 
interposed.  The  executioner  walks  along  to  each  successively,  till  all 
are  despatched.  Other  officers  are  present,  seated  in  their  chairs,  to 
superintend  the  proceeding.  Mr.  R.  saw  twelve  on  one  occasion 
beheaded,  one  after  the  other,  in  the  short  space  of  three  minutes,  by 
two  executioners.  A  number  of  heads  still  lay  in  a  heap,  exposed  as 
a  "  warning  to  others."  After  breakfast,  having  taken  a  short  survey 
of  the  premises,  I  returned  by  boat  to  the  factories. 

After  dinner,  Mr.  Moses  and  I  walked  in  the  American  gardens, 
where  we  were  joined  by  Mr.  Bridgeman,  and  we  had  a  talk  of  college 
days  at  Amherst,  Mass.  The  weather  was  quite  warm. 

Saturday,  October  14th.  —  Mr.  M.  invited  me  to  go  with  him  in  his 
vessel,  in  a  few  weeks,  to  Manilla.  If  convenient,  1  shall  do  so.  We 
walked  through  Old  and  New  China  streets,  meeting  great  numbers 
of  beggars,  of  both  sexes,  and  all  ages,  and  from  the  gray-haired  to 
the  child  of  four  years.  Each  one  of  them  had  a  little  wooden  bowl 
to  receive  the  cash  that  might  be  thrown  in,  and  all  were  crying  out, 
in  mournful  strains,  for  charity.  Several  of  the  streets  were  quite  full 
of  them.  Amid  all  their  noise  and  confusion,  it  seemed  like  being  in 
Bedlam.  Many  of  them  are  loathsome-looking  objects,  and  in  passing 
among  them  one  recoils  with  fear  lest  he  should  touch  one.  I  presume 
that  more  than  one  hundred  passed  my  window  last  night  during 
the  ten  minutes  that  I  was  observing  them.  Several  times  three  or 
four  blind  ones,  in  single  file,  led  by  one  who  could  see,  would  pass 
together,  each  holding  on  by  the  clothes  of  the  one  in  front.  Some- 
times a  beggar  will  enter  a  Chinese  shop,  and  commence  drumming 
with  a  bamboo  stick  on  a  piece  of  board,  continuing  this  till  he 
exhausts  the  patience  of  the  shopkeeper,  who,  fearing  that  his  cus- 
tomers Avill  be  driven  away  by  the  noise,  throws  him  out  a  coin  called 
a  cash,  which  is  one  twelfth  of  a  cent,  and  the  beggar  goes  off  to  the 
next  shop,  where  the  drumming  is  resumed.  Frequently  one  of  them 
may  be  seen  standing  in  the  middle  of  a  shop,  drumming  away  on  an 
old  gong  as  if  for  life,  being  in  other  respects  perfectly  motionless,  and 
appearing  as  if  he  had  been  there  for  some  hours. 

With  regards  to  all  our  friends,  truly,  B.  L.  B. 


Tuesday,  October  17th. —  During  the  first  of  the  evening  we  went 
up  and  had  a  view  from  the  upper  part  of  the  house.  There  was  a 
large  platform  and  a  railing  above  the  roof,  from  which  we  could  see 
over  the  tops  of  the  other  buildings  throughout  the  city.  Lanterns  in 
every  direction  shone  from  the  watch-towers,  which  are  higher  than 


CANTON. NOISY    CRIES   OF   CHINESE.  127 

the  tops  of  the  houses.  These  towers  are  light  structures,  erected 
on  high  bamboo  poles,  for  watchmen  to  rest  in  at  night,  and,  over- 
looking the  roofs,  give  any  alarm  of  fire  which  may  happen  to 
"  break  out." 

I  heard  this  morning  that  the  "  Vancouver  "  was  in,  and  I  expect 
news  from  home  ;  but  I  hardly  dare  indulge  the  thought,  for  fear  I  may 
again  be  disappointed.  It  is  over  five  months  since  I  left  America, 
and  I  am  very  anxious  to  hear  a  word.  I  would  give  a  considerable 
amount  for  news  from  home,  if  money  could  buy  it. 

Wednesday,  October  18lh. —  This  morn  I  was  aroused  from  sleep  by 
a  number  of  Chinamen  crying  their  various  kinds  of  produce  to  sell, 
when  they  make  the  worst  of  noises.  I  should  almost  like  to  thrash 
them  soundly  for  giving  utterance  to  such  unearthly  sounds.  One 
passes  along,  crying  out  one  article  ;  in  five  minutes  another  cries 
something  else  ;  a  few  minutes  more,  and  another  comes  of  the  same 
character  ;  and  all  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  This  morning  there 
were  eight  or  ten  different  ones  thus  engaged ;  and,  to  increase  the 
confusion,  one  of  them  came  with  geese  and  ducks  screeching  and 
quacking  as  if  they  had  worn  their  throats  to  the  bone.  All  this, 
with  the  drumming  of  the  watchmen,  was  almost  enough  to  drive  me 
crazy.  I  am  out  of  patience  with  them. 

Thursday,  October  19M. —  It  has  been  a  very  warm  day  ;  the  per- 
spiration flowed  from  me  in  streams.  The  mosquitoes  are  very  annoy- 
ing at  this  time.  I  have  had  quite  a  long  talk  with  a  Chinese 
merchant  relative  to  the  opening  of  the  city  gates  next  spring.  Since 
the  war  of  England  with  China,  the  Chinese  have  been  much  more 
prejudiced  against  the  English  than  against  other  nations,  so  that 
the  Americans  and  others  seem  to  be  more  in  favor  with  them, 
though,  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  I  presume  there  is  little  differ- 
ence. After  some  conversation  on  the  subject,  I  said, 

"  Suppose  I  go  with  you  inside  city,  you  think  they  hurt  me  ?  " 

He  answered, 

"  I  thinkee  no  makey  bobbery  you,  s'pose  Cheenamann  sarvy  (know) 
you.  You  'Mereky  mann  ;  but  no  can  sarvy  true,  alia  same  fashion, 
same  facey,  same  closey,  same  lookee,  no  different  fashion  (from) 
that  Ingliss. ' ' 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  the  Chinese  like  the  English  now  well  enough,  do 
they  not?" 

"  No  can  !  no  can  !  no  likee  !  "  said  he ;  and,  pointing  to  his  mouth, 


128  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

"  Englishman  very  good  talkee  ; "  and  then  to  his  breast,  "  all  heart 
bad,  —  no  talkee  true,  —  too  much  a  proudy." 

Friday,  October  20th. —  To-day  I  saw,  at  Dr.  B.'s  house,  a  patient 
•whose  finger  had  been  bitten  by  a  serpent.  For  nearly  the  whole 
extent  of  the  arm  the  part  outward  to  the  elbow  had  sloughed,  and 
portions  of  the  finger. 

At  this  moment  the  rain  is  falling  in  torrents,  and  the  wind  is  blow- 
ing violently,  very  like  the  typhoon  at  Hong-Kong.  Some  say  that 
it  is  another  typhoon.  Loose  boards  and  blinds  torn  off  begin  to  rattle 
about  the  streets,  and  the  wind  occasionally  sweeps  round,  and 
wrenches  the  house  with  much  power. 

Saturday,  October  2lst. — Last  night,  between  eleven  and  twelve, 
the  wind  blew  in  terrific  gusts.  Hearing  a  confused  sound  of  voices 
in  the  direction  of  the  river,  I  determined  on  going  to  witness  what  it 
might  proceed  from.  I  called  Mr.  M.  up,  who  made  ready  to  go  with 
me.  It  rained  pouringly,  and  blew  almost  a  hurricane.  We  pro- 
ceeded a  short  distance,  when  one  of  the  gusts  nearly  wrested  away 
my  umbrella,  and  took  off  my  cap.  While  I  was  after  it,  Mr.  M. 
became  frightened,  and  ran  back.  In  the  dark  he  encountered  a  post, 
that  he  thought  at  first  was  a  man,  which  increased  his  fears.  He 
soon  reached  the  door,  and  resolutely  refused  to  try  it  again,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  go  alone.  I  went  through  the  rain,  for  I  could  not 
carry  my  umbrella  spread,  and  found  the  Chinese  boat-families  and 
their  boats  in  the  greatest  confusion.  They  were  hurrying  this  way 
and  that,  and  from  one  boat  to  another,  without  seeming  to  know 
what  they  were  after,  —  all  crying  out  to  each  other,  to  the  extent  of 
their  voices,  in  excited  tones  and  with  frantic  gestures,  some  for  one 
thing,  and  some  for  another.  But  their  principal  aim  seemed  to  be  to 
secure  their  boats,  which,  tossed  up  and  down,  were  dashing  against 
each  other.  I  walked  to  the  end  of  the  narrow  pier,  which  was  just 
wide  enough  for  three  to  pass  abreast,  with  the  water  splashing  up 
over  on  both  sides,  and  took  a  view  of  the  river.  I  met  Mr.  Bourne 
here,  making  observations  for  his  next  day's  paper.  We  could  see  little 
except  their  boat-lights,  and  the  burning  of  incense-sticks  and  paper, 
which  they  were  abundantly  and  anxiously  offering  to  appease  the 
supposed  wrath  of  their  deity.  I  came  home  completely  drenched,  and 
well  satisfied  with  my  adventure. 

About  five  this  morning,  Mr.  Hunt  brought  up  my  little  Chinese 
dog,  saying  that  the  streets  were  full  of  water,  and  that  it  was  pouring 
and  had  flooded  the  lower  part  of  the  Louse,  drowning  the  little 


CANTON. STOKM.  129 

fellow  out  of  his  sleeping  quarters.  All  the  forenoon  boats  and  sam- 
pans were  paddling  about  the  streets.  We  went  to  the  top  of  the 
house,  and  could  see  that  the  streets  had  been  turned  into  canals,  and 
that  the  whole  American  garden  was  a  pond  of  water,  which  the  wind 
and  tide  were  driving  further  into  the  city.  Some  of  the  verandas 
and  roofs  were  to  be  seen  in  ruins. 

A  gentleman  who  had  an  engagement  with  me  came,  at  the  hour 
appointed,  in  a  boat,  floating  into  the  door  of  the  house  and  up  to  tho 
stairs,  where  he  landed.  Another  gentleman  told  me,  since  the  water 
has  subsided,  that  he  should  have  come  in  a  sedan,  but  the  water  waa 
so  deep  the  coolies  could  not  carry  him  high  enough  from  the  water 
to  make  it  practicable. 

Towards  night  the  streets  turned  into  dry  land,  and  Mr.  M.  and 
I  walked  to  the  river.  We  saw  stretched  on  the  ground  a  Chinese 
boy  that  had  been  drowned,  and  the  mother  crying  and  lamenting  as 
if  she  would  die  herself ;  many  covered  boats  were  more  or  less  broken 
up,  and  strewed  about  in  fragments.  Others  were  stove,  and  full  of 
water.  I  am  told  that  the  Chinese  will  not  save  a  drowning  person  ; 
they  think  that  it  is  the  work  of  Josh,  with  which  they  will  not  inter- 
fere, and  that  if  the  man  is  to  be  saved  he  will  be  saved  without  their 
interposition,  though  we  noticed  that  many  of  the  children  still  had 
on  the  bamboo  floater  which  had  been  attached  to  their  backs. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

BEGGARS.  SING-SONG. VISIT     TO     LEPER    VILLAGE.  CHINESE     SUPER- 
STITIONS.  DOGS    AND    CATS    AS    FOOD. WALK    WITH    A    CHINAMAN. 

VOYAGE    TO   MANILLA. 

SUNDAY,  October  lid.  —  Messrs.  Hunt,  Moses  and  myself,  have 
walked  through  Looking-glass-street.  At  every  shop  where  we  called 
a  crowd  of  staring  Chinese,  as  usual,  gathered  about  the  door,  and  in 
several  instances  in  such  numbers  that  the  shopkeepers  were  obliged 
to  drive  them  ofl'.  We  again  noticed  beggars  drumming  up  the 
shopkeepers  to  give  them  something.  In  one  store,  there  were  two 
men  and  one  woman  all  keeping  up  an  incessant  clicking  and  ding- 
ing in  the  ears  of  the  inmates.  The  wood,  being  resonant,  sounds 


130  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

very  loud ;  and  the  shopkeeper,  disturbed  in  trading  with  his  cus- 
tomers, and  havicg  endured  it  as  long  as  he  could,  petulantly  stepped 
forward,  and  put  a  cash  —  a  twelfth  of  a  cent  —  into  each  of  their 
bowls. 

We  could  often  hear  them  at  a  distance,  before  we  came  where 
they  were.  One  of  the  beggar  parties  showed  themselves  to  be  quite 
cunning.  They  kept  company  with  us  into  each  store  that  we 
entered.  The  moment  they  commenced  drumming,  the  storekeeper, 
perceiving  that  he  was  about  to  have  European  customeis,  would 
throw  very  quickly  out  the  cash,  to  get  rid  of  them.  This  satisfied 
them ;  for  they  quickly  stopped  their  noises,  and  went  outside  ;  and 
when  we  came  out  we  found  them  ready  to  precede  us  to  the  next 
shop,  knowing  very  well  that  the  shopkeepers  would  not  like  the  noise 
when  there  was  any  prospect  of  a  profitable  trade.  Owing  to  the 
superstitious  belief  of  the  people  concerning  them,  they  are  never 
ordered  out ;  but  they  will  keep  up  the  drumming  for  hours,  if  they  do 
not  get  their  cash,  no  matter  how  annoying  it  may  be  ;  for  they  have 
no  regard  for  the  ears  of  the  shopkeepers,  further  than  to  stimulate 
them  to  throw  out  the  money.  Some  beggars  have  the  happy  faculty 
of  making  themselves  so  very  disagreeable  that  the  shopkeepers  pay 
them  a  regular  salary  to  keep  out  of  their  shops. 

At  evening,  I  went  into  the  street,  to  see  and  hear  the  "  sing-song," 
a  short  distance  from  the  hotel.  These  consist  of  eight  or  twelve 
Chinese  musicians,  seated  on  a  platform,  raised  about  ten  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  place  was  decorated  with  theatrical  articles,  and 
prettily  illuminated  with  lanterns.  Here  they  burned  their  Josh- 
sticks,  played  and  sung  (or  rather  squalled) ,  and  acted  like  insane 
persons.  They  appeared  highly  satisfied  with  their  own  music,  though 
such  a  heterogeneous  mingling  of  horrid  noises  forcibly  reminded  me 
of  the  cast-iron  band  of  college  students  in  their  occasional  nocturnal 
parades.  One  of  the  musicians  was  so  enraptured  that  he  would 
often  throw  up  his  gongs  with  a  wrhirl,  and,  catching  them,  strike 
them  together,  turn  them  over,  and  spin  them  on  his  thumbs,  with 
various  other  motions.  The  object  of  this  sing-song,  I  was  told,  was 
for  chin-chinning  Josh  not  to  burn  the  houses  in  that  street.  I  am 
told  that  the  same  ceremony  is  performed  in  other  streets,  by  these  or 
other  musicians. 

Monday,  October  23d.  —  I   went  with   Dr.   B.   to  visit   a  vill; 
inhabited  by  lepers.     It  is  situated  a  few  miles  in  the  country  biu-1 
Canton,  and  is  supported  by  the  gifts  of  the  emperor.     Dr.  B. 


CANTON.  —  A    VILLAGE    OF    LEPERS.  131 

usual,  took  tracts  for  distribution,  —  translations  of  the  Ten   Com- 
mandments,—  which  -were  given  to  the  people  along  the  way. 

The  lepers  were  a  "  hard-looking  set  "to  be  called  human.  I  was 
almost  disposed  to  regard  them  as  an  order  below  the  human  race. 
Their  skins  were  covered  with  blotches,  spotted,  pitted,  scarred,  or  in 
some  way  marked  with  disease,  which  extended  to  every  person  living 
there  —  man,  woman  and  child,  from  the  infant  to  the  most  aged. 
Different  shades  of  effects  throughout,  —  the  whole  catalogue  of  erup- 
tive diseases,  venereal  and  those  of  scrofula,  elephantiasis  in  different 
shades  and  aspects,  or  all  combined,  —  were  to  be  observed  among  them. 
There  were  some  singularly  forlorn  cases.  One  boy  about  twelve  years 
old,  with  a  diseased  body  and  a  wrinkled  and  dried-up  face,  appeared  to 
be  about  seventy-five  years  old.  The  legs  and  feet  of  some,  at  a  short 
distance,  resembled  those  of  elephants  both  in  color  and  size  ;  others  had 
varied  swellings,  discolorations  or  distortions  of  the  flesh,  the  natural 
results  of  their  living  and  filthy  habits.  Such  a  living  mass  of  diseased 
forms  with  idiotic  expressions,  gathering  around  us  and  gazing  into 
our  faces,  was  not  agreeable.  Many  of  them  seemed  perfectly  amazed  ; 
and  some  felt  of  our  clothes  and  flesh,  as  if  doubtful  what  we  were 
made  of. 

As  we  drew  near  the  village  we  could  see  them  collecting  along  the 
path,  and  hear  them  crying  out,  "  Fan-qui-loo  !  Fan-qui-loo  !  "  with 
each  other  ;  and  as  we  entered  they  ran  along  behind  and  at  our 
sides,  shouting  and  laughing  as  if  they  were  escorting  strange  beings 
into  their  precincts. 

Many  of  them  could  read,  and  were  much  pleased  to  get  the  tracts 
with  yellow  covers.  We  took  seats  in  the  little  temple  or  Josh-house, 
with  the  idols  around  us,  and  rested  ourselves  while  we  stopped ;  at 
the  same  time  the  whole  village  collected  to  look  at  us.  I  remarked 
to  the  doctor  that  I  presumed  we  had  a  larger  congregation  than  they 
had  in  their  temple  generally. 

On  account  of  the  color  of  my  hair  they  at  first  manifested  some 
prejudice  towards  me,  taking  me  to  be  an  Englishman  —  one  from  the 
"  red-haired  nation,"  which  had  been  at  war  with  their  country.  But 
explanation  being  made  that  people  from  many  nations  had  the  same 
Vind  of  hair,  they  were  satisfied. 
'From  this  village,  passing  across  the  country  and  through  the 

rade-ground  of  the  Canton  troops,  we  came  to  the  cemetery  where 

jre  is  a  temple  to  commemorate  those  who  lost  their  lives  in  a 
ieatre  which  was  burned,  several  years  ago,  in   Canton.     There 


132  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

perished,  on  that  occasion,  three  thousand  persons,  whose  remains 
were  collected,  brought  out,  and  buried  here.  Hence  foreigners 
call  it  the  cemetery.  Their  names,  as  many  as  could  be  collected, 
were  inscribed  on  little  boards  or  tablets,  and  conspicuously  placed 
inside  in  rows  behind  the  altar. 

All  the  sides  of  the  hills  about  here  are  covered  with  grave-stones. 
On  one  small  hill  a  funeral  party  was  assembled.  As  we  approached 
they  manifested  some  alarm,  but  Dr.  B.  very  soon  quieted  them, 
and  gave  them  books.  We  passed  through  several  villages,  and 
stopped  a  few  moments  in  a  slaughter-house,  where  they  were  engaged 
in  killing  cattle  for  the  supply  of  the  city.  Herds  of  buffaloes  and 
goats  were  grazing  in  the  pastures.  Most  of  the  villages  were  enclosed 
by  bamboo-trees,  looking  very  pretty,  —  much  prettier  at  a  distance, 
with  their  curved  and  ornamented  roofs,  than  at  a  nearer  view. 
The  streets  were  very  narrow  —  not  wide  enough  for  a  carriage.  This 
being  the  time  of  a  Chinese  festival,  one  long  street  was  handsomely 
decorated  ;  and  chandeliers  and  images  of  paper,  with  various  colors 
and  of  every  description,  were  suspended  over  head.  As  we  returned 
through  it,  a  crowd  of  boys  followed  us,  but  we  arrived  safely  at  Dr. 
B.'s  house  at  two  p.  M.  After  tea,  I  walked  home,  —  a  boy  going 
before  with  a  lantern,  and  carrying  the  images,  &c.,  which  Dr.  B. 
had  kindly  given  me,  —  and  reached  there  at  nine  p.  M.,  relieving  the 
fears  of  friends  at  our  long  absence. 

Tuesday,  October  24th. —  Last  night  the  "sing-song,"  spoken  of 
yesterday,  kept  up  their  disagreeable  jargon  till  two  o'clock  this 
morning.  It  was  quite  a  relief  to  me  when  fatigue  induced  them  to 
stop.  The  variety  afforded  gratuitously  by  the  beggars,  the  criers 
of  meats  and  broths,  and  the  Chinese  sounds  in  general,  was  more 
than  sufficient  for  my  curiosity. 

Wednesday,  October  25th.  —  The  "sing-song"  has  departed,  and 
I  hope  they  have  chin-chinned  Josh  to  their  hearts'  content.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  be  free  of  their  jargon  and  squalling  singing. 

I  attended  Dr.  Parker's  church,  at  his  house,  at  eleven  A.  M.,  Rev. 
Mr.  French  officiating. 

Mr.  M.,  who  rooms  under  me,  amused  himself  in  scattering  copper 
-cash  among  the  Chinese  in  the  street,  thrown  from  the  window  in 
small  handfuls,  and  seeing  them  scramble  for  it.  The  street  soon 
became  crowded  with  the  Chinese,  and  it  was  a  ludicrous  scene  to  see 
them  pushing,  pulling,  and  tumbling  over  each  other.  But  a  couple  of 
American  friends,  calling  in,  stated  that  it  was  very  dangerous  to  have 


CANTON.  —  A    CHINESE    PUBLIC    NOTICE.  133 

such  a  collection  of  dissolute  and  disorderly  Chinese  ;  that,  if  suffered 
to  continue,  it  would  be  likely  to  result  in  a  mob  ;  and,  if  so,  there 
•would  be  lives  lost  before  it  could  be  quelled.  They  said  that  several 
times  a  mob,  collected  by  circumstances  as  trivial,  had  attacked  the 
factories,  which  once  had  nearly  been  demolished.  To-day  the  collec- 
tion was  of  a  motley  gathering  of  beggars,  coolies,  and  the  lowest  class 
generally,  and  it  was  rapidly  increasing.  They  had  to  be  driven  away 
before  they  would  leave. 

In  the  evening  we  attended  the  religious  services  which  were 
conducted  by  Dr.  II.  at  Dr.  P.'s  house. 

A  curious  instance  of  Chinese  superstition  is  related  in  the  Chinese 
Repository.  On  the  flag-staff  erected  by  Mr.  Forbes,  United  States 
Consul  at  Canton,  was  a  vane  in  the  shape  of  an  arrow.  This  the 
Chinese  saw  turning  around  and  pointing  in  different  directions,  as  if 
menacing  the  people  ;  and  so  much  excitement  was  produced  among 
them  that  the  consul  was  induced  to  have  it  taken  down.  While  a 
small  party  of  sailors  were  engaged  in  doing  this,  some  of  the  baser 
Chinese,  who  had  pushed  themselves  into  the  square,  got  up  a  riot ;  but 
it  was  fortunately  quelled,  and  order  restored.  The  following  account 
was  given  by  the  Chinese  gentry,  and  indicates  the  popular  feeling  on 
that  occasion.  It  was  written  in  Chinese,  and  posted  up  in  their  form 
of  notices  in  the  streets,  to  be  read  by  the  Chinese  populace. 

"  On  reflection,  we  think  that  both  Chinese  and  foreigners  ought  to 
be  at  peace  with  each  other,  and  each  party  behave  themselves  respect- 
fully. The  matter  is,  that  in  front  of  the  American  factory  a  new 
flag-staff  was  lately  erected,  and  an  arrow  for  a  vane  placed  on  the  top 
of  it,  which  shot  towards  all  quarters,  thereby  causing  serious  imped- 
iment to  the  felicity  and  good  fortunes  of  the  land.  But,  upon  the 
remarks  of  the  natives  coming  to  their  knowledge,  it  appears  that  the 
said  country's  merchants  took  down  the  arrow  themselves,  by  which 
we  sec  that  they  are  aware  of  their  error.  There  ought,  therefore,  to 
be  no  ill-will  between  us  and  them.  Moreover,  these  merchants  have 
traded  in  Canton  coeval  with  our  dynasty,  for  two  hundred  years, 
and  for  the  most  part  behaved  themselves  properly  ;  so  in  this  affair 
having  shown  themselves  obliging,  we  ought  to  excuse  them.  Hence- 
forth, we  sincerely  pray  that  all  may  be  at  peace;  that,  thus  looking 
up,  we  may  participate  in  our  emperor's  earnest  desire  to  regard 
people  from  afar  with  compassion.  This  is  what  we  most  ardently 
nope  for  (from  our  own  countrymen). 

"  A  public  notice  from  the  gentry  and  elders  of  all  the  streets  and 
school-districts  in  the  four  roads.     TAOWKWANG,  twenty-fourth  year, 
third  moon,  twentieth  day." 
12 


134  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 


LETTER   TO   A   SISTER-IN-IAW. 

Canton,  China,  Tuesday,  October  Zlst,  1848. 

Mr  DEAR  SISTER  E.  C.  B.  :  This  evening  I  took  a  cooly  with  a 
lantern  for  my  guide,  and  went  down  to  Too  T5,  calling  on  Rev.  Mr. 
L.  He  lives  in  almost  wholly  Chinese  style.  He  has  a  Chinese  house 
and  Chinese  furniture,  &c.,  and  I  took  tea  with  him  on  the  Chinese 
lounge.  He  said  that  he  walked  home  through  the  streets  alone  last 
night,  but  did  not  generally  like  to.  Mr.  W.  had  been  attacked  sev- 
eral times.  This  evening,  while  walking  in  the  American  garden,  I 
heard  the  notes  of  a  piano,  which  reminded  me  of  home,  and  for  a 
considerable  time  my  thoughts  wandered  in  those  far-off  regions. 

Wednesday,  November  1st.  —  It  is  a  task  to  do  anything  with  these 
Chinamen.  A  week  ago,  I  engaged  one  to  make  the  blade  to  a  small 
instrument,  leaving  one  for  a  pattern.  I  go  to  him,  and  say, 

"  Have  got  instrument  done?  " 

"Arh?" 

I  repeat  it,  and  put  the  question  in  a  dozen  different  forms,  and  by 
and  by  he  will  say, 

"  No  sarva." 

After  a  while  I  find  that  I  am  not  addressing  the  right  man,  who  is 
not  in  at  the  time.  I  call  once  or  twice  more,  and,  perhaps,  find  him 
in,  and  say, 

"  Have  got  that  instrument  done?  " 

"  Instremy,  instremy?     No  sarva  instremy." 

"  That  litty  steel,  —  so  long  time,  you  know,  — I  bring  you  three, 
four  day  before?  " 

"  Ar-r-raha  steeley,  arh  steeley-instremy —  0  yet,  ivorie  handley,  I 
sarva  ;  no  have  got  proper,  can  have  two,  three  day  more  —  no  can 
do  so  litty  time  —  s'pose  you  cum  two  three  day,  can  do." 

I  call  again  at  the  time,  and  it  is  the  same  thing  over  again.  I 
have  to  go,  and  to  keep  going,  and  I  cannot  tell  when  I  shall  be  done 
with  them  ;  and  so  with  almost  every  little  article  that  I  may  wish 
them  to  do  for  me. 

My  little  dog  I  find  that  I  have  saved  from  being  converted  into 
chow-chow,  for  at  the  time  I  bought  him  such  was  his  fate.  The 
Chinaman  pedler  had  him,  with  two  or  three  others,  all  nicely  fattened, 
in  two  wicker  baskets,  carrying  them  about  to  sell.  The  man,  as  I 
stopped  to  look  at  them,  told  me,  by  signs  and  motions,  what  nice 
chow-chow  they  would  make,  —  pointing  to  his  mouth.  There  were 
white  ones  and  red  ones,  and  I  chose  one  with  long  curly  hair,  of  a 
light  red  color,  —  somewhat  resembling  a  young  lion,  —  bargaining 
for  him  at  seventy^ve  cents. 

I  had  seen  cages  of  dogs  hawked  about,  but  never  before  thought  of 
buying  one  myself,  till  this  little  fellow  arrested  my  attention,  causing 
my  desire  to  save  him  from  his  impending  fate.  Accordingly,  the 
man  brought  him  to  the  house,  and  I  had  him  shut  up  in  my  room. 
Since  then  I  have  been  trying  to  tame  him  ;  for,  as  soon  as  I  entered 
the  room,  he  would  run  and  yelp,  and  get  as  far  from  me  as  possible  ; 
but  he  manifests  no  timidity  at  the  Chinese.  I  have  thought  that  if  ho 


CANTOX.  OKXAMENT3. REGATTA.  135 

did  not  soon  improve  in  his  disposition  towards  me,  my  sympathy 
and  affection  for  him  would  be  gone,  and  I  should  puss  him  over  to 
Chinese  hands  again.  Cats,  mewing  their  lamentations,  are  carried 
about  in  the  same  way,  destined  also  to  be  served  up  on  the  tables  of 
the  Chinese.  They  say  you  cannot  tell  the  meat  from  rabbit,  but  I 
care  not  about  trying  it,  and  had  rather  take  their  word  for  it.  When 
I  see  any  moat  on  the  table  that  looks  doubtful,  I  look  for  a  wing, 
knowing  that  cats  have  not  got  wings. 

I  have  not  seen  any  rats  yet,  though  I  hear  them  squeaking  and 
prancing  about  my  room  every  night.  Judging  from  their  numbers 
here,  I  should  not  suppose  them  to  be  a  very  general  article  of  food. 

Rats  are  only  eaten  by  the  poorer  class  of  Chinese,  and  then  they 
are  generally  "  dried  rats,"  prepared  by  skinning,  flattening  out,  and 
drying.  The  bodies  are  then  strung  on  wires,  and  hung  up  in  the 
rat-shops  for  sale. 

After  tiffin,  I  called  at  a  Chinese  shop,  and  the  shopkeeper  offered 
to  take  me  around  through  several  streets,  to  "  see  some  curious 
things,"  as  he  called  it.  He  accompanied  me  to  Looking-glass-street ; 
then  to  a  street  where  they  make  and  keep  nothing  but  shoes,  —  Shoe- 
street,  I  should  call  it ;  then  to  one  where  they  painted  all  sorts  of 
Chinese  figures,  on  rolls  of  paper,  for  window-curtains  ;  then  to  shops 
filled  with  carved  figures,  which  they  sell  at  high  prices.  These  were  of 
hard  wood,  rhinoceros-horn,  &c.,  polished,  —  vases,  cups,  bowls,  idols, 
images,  &c.  Then  we  passed  to  a  street  full  of  tinsel-work  ;  where  were 
all  kinds  of  filigree  ornaments,  with  very  bright  colors.  They  were  repre- 
sentations of  various  Chinese  scenes,  —  of  men,  women,  animals,  groves, 
flowers,  trees,  houses,  &c.  Some  were  very  large,  —  several  feet  in  height 
and  breadth.  With  these  they  purchase  their  wives  (as  the  man  told 
me) ,  giving  the  father,  if  the  girl  is  very  handsome,  one  of  the  most 
costly  and  beautiful.  They  are  very  cheap,  ranging  from  fifty  cents  to 
twenty-five  dollars.  I  thought,  by  their  richness,  the  price  would 
have  exceeded  one  hundred  dollars.  They  have  on  them  an  immense 
deal  of  work,  and  I  could  not  imagine  how  they  could  be  afforded 
at  such  prices.  When  we  came  into  a  street  where  there  were  but 
few  people  passing,  my  conductor  took  the  opportunity  to  tell  me  I 
must  look  out  for  my  pockets,  or  I  should  find  myself  robbed  ;  and 
then  remarked  that  he  could  not  say  this  to  me  before,  lest  some  of 
the  Chinamen  should  have  overheard  him. 

In  the  evening  I  called  at  Dr.  P.'s,  and  had  an  entertaining  conver- 
sation with  him  and  Mrs.  P.  upon  home  and  home  affairs.  This 
subject,  which  always  includes  our  friends,  is  always  interesting  to 
parties  so  far  from  their  native  country. 

Monday,  November  13th.  —  In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  see  the 
regatta  of  the  merchants,  which  was  very  exciting,  some  of  the 
principals  of  the  mercantile  houses  taking  an  active  part  in  pulling  the 
oars.  Most  of  the  European  population  of  Canton,  and  many  from 
Hong-Kong,  were  present.  Mr.  Heard,  who  awards  one  of  the  silver 
cups  to  the  winners,  sent  me  a  programme  of  the  affair. 

Concluded  to  go  down  to  Hong-Kong  to-morrow,  and  to  make  a  trip 
to  Manilla  with  Mr.  Moses. 


136  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Tuesday,  November  I4tk.  —  At  three  p.  M.  I  had  all  my  baggage  on 
board  a  boat  for  Whampoa.  When  I  came  from  the  hotel,  all  the 
Chinese  servants  were  ranged  along  on  each  side  of  the  passage  to  the 
door  for  cumshaws  (presents) .  There  were  the  cook,  the  cook's  assistant, 
chair-bearers,  chamber-sweepers,  coolies,  and  others  whom  I  could  not 
recollect  of  having  ever  before  seen,  but  presume  they  had  served  me 
in  some  way  or  other.  In  coming  down  the  stairs,  I  wondered  why 
all  those  two  lines  of  Chinese  were  standing  so  ceremoniously,  and 
looking  as  if  about  to  do  something,  I  could  not  tell  what.  As  I 
approached,  they  similated  most  respectful  countenances  (which  I  had 
never  observed  before) ,  and  I  concluded  they  were  going  to  escort  mo 
to  the  boat,  or  something  of  that  nature.  But  the  foremost  one  of 
them  soon  made  me  acquainted  with  the  object  of  their  parade.  He 
stretched  out  his  hands,  with, 

"  Doker  Pau,  s'pose  you  likey,  litty  cumshaw  my?  " 

After  I  had  given  him  something,  another's  hands  came  in  the  same 
way;  and  I  perceived  that  each  one  was  waiting  his  turn.  I  noticrd 
among  them  the  coolies  who  had  carried  my  baggage  to  the  boat,  and 
whom  I  had  paid  liberally,  twenty  times  as  much  as  the  Chinese 
would  pay  them  ;  the  washerman,  who  had  beat  out  the  new  linen 
clothes  for  me,  the  first  time  they  were  washed  ;  those  who  I  had 
reason  to  suppose  had  stolen  articles  from  my  wardrobe,  and  others 
whom  I  had  punctually  paid,  whenever  they  had  done  anything  for 
me.  And  I  said, 

"  0,  no,  not  to  such  a  crowd  as  this!  There  are  no  obligations 
resting  upon  me  of  this  kind  towards  you  ;  and  you  can  continue  to 
hold  out  your  hands  until  I  get  to  Whampoa,  if  you  like." 

And  I  passed  through  them  to  the  boat,  much  to  their  disappoint- 
ment. The  boat  in  the  middle  was  covered  above,  and  my  baggage, 
with  the  boxes  of  Chinese  articles,  was  stowed  away  inside,  so  that 
there  was  scarcely  room  for  myself.  My  boy  and  dog,  however, 
crawled  in  on  top  of  the  boxes,  and  off  we  went. 

Two  miles  down  the  river,  at  Puc-ti-mu,  I  stopped  and  called  at  Dr. 
B.'s  a  few  minutes,  and  then  went  on.  Soon  we  were  out  of  sight  of 
the  boat  population,  only  straggling  ones  being  here  and  there  to  be 
seen.  The  tide  and  wind  were  against  us,  and  we  progressed  slowly. 
With  all  the  show  of  my  things  in  front,  I  was,  towards  night,  a  little 
apprehensive  of  pirates.  Several  times  suspicious-looking  boats  crossed 
ahead  of  our  bows,  as  if  to  take  a  view  of  us.  My  revolver  was  freshly 
loaded  with  eight  shots,  and  carefully  kept  in  my  breast-pocket,  and. 
on  showing  it  to  the  boatmen,  it  received  their  approbation  ;  but  we 
were  not  molested. 

We  arrived  among  the  shipping  at  Whampoa  at  about  eight  in  the 
evening.  It  was  very  dark,  and  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  one 
vessel  from  another.  We  cruised  back  and  forth,  looking  for  Captain 
Lockhart's  fast  boat,  which  was  to  pass  about  this  time,  and  in  which 
the  captain  had  invited  me  to  take  passage,  he  having  hired  it  for 
his  own  use.  In  case  that  I  missed  him,  I  had  arranged  to  go  in  Mr. 
Bush's  private  cutter,  which  would  pass  later.  I  had  given  up  Cap- 
tain L.,  and  was  looking  for  Mr.  Hunt's  vessel,  to  wait  and  watch, 


HONG-KONG. AN    ADKOIT   THEFT.  137 

when  I  saw  a  vessel  with  white  sails  gliding  by  on  the  opposite  side. 
By  so  much  turning  around,  and  going  back  and  forth,  I  had  com- 
pletely lost  the  points  of  compass,  and  did  not  think  it  could  be  the 
vessel  I  was  after,  until  it  had  passed,  and  was  disappearing  beyond 
the  dark-colored  Chinese  sails.  I  had  only  time  to  point  her  out,  and 
tell  the  men  to  pull  for  her  and  see.  The  boatmen  were  cold,  and 
impatient  to  be  released,  get  their  money,  and  go  back  ;  and  I  was 
anxious  to  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  go  down,  or  I  might  be 
obliged  to  wait  several  days,  and  then  it  would  be  too  late  for  the 
Manilla  vessel.  The  men  pulled,  and  in  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  we 
were  within  hailing  distance,  and  found  her  to  be  Mr.  B.'s  cutter. 
We  were  soon  alongside,  and  all  my  things  safely  on  board.  I  paid 
the  men  their  two  dollars  and  a  cumshaw,  and  we  went  our  respective 
ways.  I  met  on  board  Mr.  B.,  Mr.  McK.,  Mr.  D.,  and  the  Sardinian 
consul.  Later  in  the  evening,  there  was  provided  a  supper  of  cold 
Westphalian  ham,  and  other  good  things  to  correspond.  At  eleven  I 
retired  to  my  berth,  well  satisfied  with  my  pleasant  and  comfortable 
quarters. 

Hong-Kong,  Wednesday,  November  15th.  —  We  had  a  fine  breeze 
during  most  of  last  night,  and  sailed  along  seven  or  eight  miles  an 
hour.  I  was  very  cold,  and  slept  very  little.  At  ten  this  forenoon 
we  were  within  a  few  miles  of  Hong-Kong,  and  the  wind  was  very 
light.  We  took  the  long-boat,  and,  with  a  dozen  rowers,  were  soon  set 
on  the  shore.  The  weather  seemed  much  warmer  at  Hong-Kong  than 
at  Canton,  though  it  is  south  only  a  degree  and  a  quarter. 

To-day  I  had  my  umbrella  stolen  most  adroitly.  I  went  into  a 
Chinaman's  shop  to  make  a  little  purchase,  and  put  the  umbrella  by 
my  side  against  the  counter.  My  hand  and  eyes  were  off  from  it  only 
long  enough  to  point  out  to  the  shopkeeper  a  piece  of  goods  on  a  shelf, 
which  was  not  twenty  seconds,  when  I  went  to  put  my  hand  on  it 
again,  and  it  had  departed.  I  looked  around  the  shop,  at  some  coolies 
about  the  door,  and  up  and  down  the  sidewalk,  but  no  such  colored 
umbrella  was  to  be  seen.  I  was  ten  feet  inside  the  door,  and  I  did  not 
believe  that  any  one  outside  could  reach  it.  Yet  one  could  hardly 
charge  the  shopkeepers  with  it,  with  their  cunning,  sleek,  presump- 
tive-looking faces.  Had  it  been  their  property,  it  could  not  have  gone 
without  their  knowing  it ;  and  I  do  not  believe  that  mine  went  out 
of  their  store. 

Tuesday,  November  list.  —  A  party  of  us  yesterday  went  on  board 
the  "  Montauk,"  Captain  McMichael,  from  Australia,  bound  to  New 
York.  He  had  on  board  a  kangaroo,  which  would  seem  to  take  only 
two  or  three  leaps  to  go  the  length  of  the  vessel.  I  expected  to  leave 
this  forenoon  for  Manilla,  but  the  vessel  with  Mr.  M.  did  not  arrive 
from  Canton.  Mr.  Drinker  and  I  went  and  breakfasted  with  Captain 
Coates,  on  board  his  vessel.  It  was  very  rough  in  going  and  coming, 
and  the  distance  bc;ing  about  two  miles,  we  were  considerably  sprinkled 
with  salt  water.  The  weather  is  quite  cold  to-day.  Read,  at  eve, 
Everett's  Eulogy  on  J.  Q.  Adams. 

Wednesday,  ^November  22d.  —  At  one  p.  M.  the"Sabraon"  came  in. 
Mr.  Moses  has  c.ilku,  and  said  that  he  shall  go  at  daylight  to-morrow, 
12* 


138  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

and  that  I  must  be  ready  to-night  for  an  early  departure.  Mr.  J. 
Kierulf,  who  lives  here,  kindly  gave  me  an  introduction  to  his  family 
at  Manilla,  and  told  me  much  about  the  Philippine  Islands. 

Yours,  truly,  B.  L.  B. 

At  Sea,  Thursday,  November  23d.  —  At  ten  this  morning  we  went 
on  board  the  "  Sabraon  "  once  more,  ready  for  a  voyage.  Mr.  Anthon, 
of  New  York,  Mr.  Moses  and  myself,  were  the  only  passengers.  At 
twelve  the  anchor  was  up,  and  there  was  just  wind  enough  slowly  to 
turn  the  vessel's  head  to  the  right  course.  Our  friends  left,  and 
returned  ashore,  and  I  took  a  stroll  over  the  deck  to  see  what  there 
was  on  board.  I  found  the  vessel  well  stocked.  There  were  three 
hogs,  two  of  which  had  large  families ;  three  dogs,  all  running  about 
the  deck  ;  plenty  of  geese,  ducks,  fowls,  &c.  While  passing  the 
other  side  of  the  island,  to  the  south-westward,  we  were  becalmed, 
and  came  to  anchor  about  dark.  The  motion  of  the  vessel  being  dis- 
agreeable, and  somewhat  sickening,  we  all  took  to  our  berths  between 
nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Friday,  November  24lh.  —  I  could  perceive,  before  I  was  up,  that 
we  were  under  full  sail ;  I  had  not  forgotten  the  ugly  motion  of  the 
vessel.  The  island  of  Hong-Kong  looked  very  pretty  from  this  side, 
having  one  little  village,  with  the  military  station  ;  and  seaward 
thousands  of  Chinese  fishing-boats  were  within  sight. 

Sunday,  November  26th. — Early  in  the  morning  the  barometer 
indicated  a  storm  ;  and  during  the  day  and  evening  we  had  it  in  full. 
The  upper  yards  were  all  brought  down  on  deck,  and  even  then  we 
expected  to  see  the  top-masts  carried  away.  Several  times  the  vessel 
was  thrown  almost  on  her  beam-ends.  We  were  amused  to  •see  the 
dogs  and  hogs  sent,  in  some  of  her  antics,  sliding,  helter-skelter,  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  deck,  and  tumbling  and  kicking  all  in  a  heap 
together.  As  the  vessel  righted,  they  scampered  back  as  fast  as  their 
legs  would  carry  them.  For  the  last  three  nights  I  have  slept  but 
little,  on  account  of  pain  in  my  bones,  the  rolling  and  jarring  of  the 
seas  against  the  vessel,  and  the  creaking  and  cracking  of  the  timbers. 
But  most  of  the  time  my  thoughts  were  of  home  and  America,  calling 
to  mind  many  intimate  scenes.  Once,  on  awaking  from  a  short  nap, 
it  took  some  time  to  realize  that  my  very  vivid  dreams  of  home  were 
not  a  reality.  But  conviction  at  length  came,  and  I  was  forced  to 
perceive  myself  far  away  in  other  regions. 

China  Sea,  for  Manilla,  Monday,  November  27th.  —  The  weather 
suddenly  changed  to-day  to  great  heat,  so  that  we  all  experienced  very 


OFF    MANILLA.  139 

depressing  effects  of  it.  So  it  is ;  yesterday  there  was  too  much  wind, 
and  to-day  there  is  too  little.  I  am  poring  over  my  Spanish  grammar, 
endeavoring  to  reap  some  benefit  from  it  before  going  ashore. 

Tuesday,  November  28th. — I  saw  the  sun  rise,  and  the  land  of 
Luconia  (the  largest  island  of  the  Philippine  group)  was  ahead.  We 
had  but  little  wind  through  the  day,  and  we  kept  off  down  the  coast, 
•with  the  land  on  our  left. 

Wednesday,  November  29<A. —  For  the  last  two  nights  I  have  slept 
on  a  settee,  this  being  a  cooler  place  than  in  my  berth.  Up  at  five. 
We  are  now  quite  near  the  high  mountains  of  Luconia,  the  island  of 
which  Manilla  is  the  capital ;  and  soon  we  expect  to  round  the  Cape, 
and  enter  the  Bay  of  Manilla.  The  Cape  is  in  sight.  The  weather  is 
very  warm.  At  times  the  vessel  is  almost  becalmed.  We  saw,  this 
forenoon,  four  whales  spouting.  They  were  about  half  a  mile  off,  and 
are  the  first  that  I  have  ever  seen.  We  could  discern  but  little  more 
of  them  than  the  column  of  spray  which  they  threw  up,  and  a  black 
hump. 

We  expected  to  have  reached  our  port  in  four  days,  and  it  is  now 
six.  We  cannot  get  in  to-day,  but  trust  we  shall  to«-morrow.  Three 
vessels  are  in  sight,  ahead.  I  saw  a  snake  floating  upon  the  water. 
It  was  about  four  feet  in  length,  skin  yellow,  with  dark  patches,  some- 
thing like  the  adder  ;  an  ugly-looking  reptile. 

Thursday,  November  3Qth.  —  This  evening  we  were  on  deck,  watching 
our  progress  past  Corregidor  Island,  into  the  Bay  of  Manilla,  and  look- 
ing for  the  Manilla  lights.  The  captain  was  obliged  to  tack  back  and 
forth,  in  order  to  pass  through  the  narrow  entrance,  clear  of  the  reef, 
which  is  just  off  the  island.  At  twelve  p.  M.  we  had  passed  the  island, 
and  were  sailing  slowly  up  the  bay,  with  the  wind  almost  directly 
ahead.  The  captain,  not  having  been  here  before,  had  to  be  governed 
entirely  by  the  chart ;  and,  consequently,  our  progress  was  slower. 
The  distance  from  the  Corregidor  Island,  which  lies  at  the  entrance  of 
the  bay,  to  Manilla,  is  twenty-eight  miles,  and  will  end  our  voyage, 
in  ten  days  from  Hong-Kong. 


140  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 


CHAPTEK   XVI. 

ARRIVAL   AT   MANILLA. HOTEL. CALZADA. ORANG-OUTANG. FEAST 

OF    SANTA   CRUZ. INTERVIEWS   WITH     THE    PEOPLE. INDIAN     THEA- 
TRE,  ETC. 

LETTER  TO  MY   PARENTS. 

Manilla,  Friday,  Dec.  1st. 

MY  DEAR  PARENTS  :  Early  this  morning  Manilla  was  in  sight,  and 
about  eight  miles  distant.  At  nine  A.  M.  a  Spanish  gun-boat  came 
off  to  us.  It  was  a  queer-looking  thing  in  the  distance,  a  row  of  long 
oars  on  each  side,  clawing  over  the  water,  appearing  like  the  approach 
of  some  great  spider.  The  officer  and  interpreter  came  on  board  ;  and 
soon  after  two  other  boats  came  for  the  news.  The  officer  was  a  large 
man,  with  gray  hair,  and  a  gold  band  around  his  cap,  and  puffing  away 
at  a  cigar,  as  if  it  was  a  part  of  himself.  He  came  into  the  cabin,  and 
took  the  lists  of  crew  and  passengers,  &c.  He  examined  our  passports, 
and  said  that  we  should  have  them  when  we  left  Manilla.  I  learn 
that  they  are  very  strict  in  their  rules  and  regulations  with  foreigners. 
For  instance,  if  I  had  not  my  passport  I  could  not  have  landed  till  I 
had  obtained  one;  and,  as  it  is  now,  I  cannot  take  any  of  my  baggage 
on  shore  to-day.  However,  I  took  under  my  arm  a  white  spencer, 
and  no  objection  was  made.  All  the  baggage  has  to  undergo  an 
inspection  from  the  custom-house  officers. 

As  our  vessel  would  not  get  up  for  some  time,  we  accepted  the  invi- 
tation of  the  officer  to  go  ashore  in  his  boat.  Mr.  Napper  came  with 
the  officer,  and  invited  us  to  his  house.  He  was  very  polite,  and  made 
us  sit  down  to  a  lunch  with  him.  He  seemed  quite  interested  in 
natural  history,  showing  us  his  collection  of  shells,  and  stuffed  birds, 
and  animals,  which  he  had  collected  in  Australia.  He  keeps  pleasant 
accommodations  for  strangers,  and  a  store  as  a  ship's  chandlery 
underneath.  There  is  one  other  hotel  here,  kept  by  a  Frenchman. 
But  tiiis  has  the  pleasantest  situation,  with  its  rear  upon  the  river 
close  to  the  landing,  and  commands  a  view  of  the  harbor  from  its 
verandas. 

As  we  approached  in  our  boat,  the  city  had  a  very  ancient  appear- 
ance ;  and,  as  I  should  fancy  from  our  distant  view,  looked  much  like 
Jerusalem.  The  walls  were  of  a  dull  gray  color,  the  roofs  and  domes 
of  a  rusty  red,  and  the  style  indicated  an  existence  of  several  centuries. 
Everything  seems  novel  and  curious,  as  in  China. 

I  was  congratulating  myself  on  not  having  seen  any  mosquitoes 
during  the  day,  thinking  that  we  might  be  free  from  them  in  Manilla  ; 
but  1  was  mistaken  ;  for  at  dark  they  exhibited  themselves  in  large 
force,  and  commenced  their  dirges  and  attacks. 

I  sent  my  letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  K.,  who  very  promptly  called 
on  me.  He  came  in  a  fine  carriage,  with  horses  driven  by  an  Indian 


MANILLA. AN    ORANG-OUTANG. MESTIZOS.  141 

postillion  ;  and,  after  a  little  conversation,  took  me  to  call  at  a  private 

boarding-house,  kept  by  a  Spanish  lady,  Dona  ,  I  do  not 

remember  the  name.  Mr.  K.  did  the  talking,  and  I  the  silent  bowing. 
I  looked  at  the  room,  and  was  pleased  with  the  general  appearance  of 
things  around,  but  did  not  conclude  to  occupy  them  at  present. 

I  called  on  Mr.  Griswold,  of  the  house  of  Messrs.  Russell  &  Stur- 
gis,  delivered  letters  of  introduction,  and  dined  with  him  in  the 
afternoon.  Towards  evening  I  rode  with  Captain  Saunders  out  on 
the  Calzada.  This  is  a  fine,  large,  shaded  avenue,  encircling  one  side 
of  the  city,  outside  the  fortifications,  and  is  the  favorite  resort  for  the 
Spanish  and  foreigners,  who  take  a  drive  in  their  carriages  after  the 
business  and  heat  of  the  day  are  over.  There  were  quite  a  number  of 
Americans  mingling  in,  whose  easy,  off-hand  expressions  would  distin- 
guish them  from  the  set  faces  of  the  Spanish.  All  the  residents  who 
move  in  good  society  here  keep  their  carriages  and  servants,  and  all 
strangers  adopt  their  practice. 

I  suppose  1  may  say  I  have  commenced  speaking  Spanish  ;  for,  hav- 
ing occasion  to  say  two  words,  "  adios,  senora,"  to  a  Spanish  lady,  I 
said  adios,  but  forgot  the  senora. 

There  is  at  the  hotel  an  orang-outang,  and  I  am  already  one  of  his 
particular  friends.  He  will  come,  with  a  mournful  expression,  and  lay 
his  hands  in  mine,  first  one  and  then  the  other,  and  run  to  my  chair 
for  protection,  when  in  fear.  He  is  quick  and  high-tempered  when 
crossed  in  his  feelings,  though  not  inclined  to  bite,  or  to  injure  any 
one.  Nothing  annoys  him  more  than  to  offer  him  something  to  cat 
and  then  to  withdraw  it  before  he  can  take  it.  In  his  disappointment 
he  will  scream,  throw  himself  down,  and  tumble  over,  striking  his  head 
passionately  upon  the  floor.  He  is  naturally  very  tame  and  gentle,  and 
will  sit  at  the  table,  use  a  spoon,  and  drink  from  a  cup  or  tumbler  — 
seeming  a  connecting  link  between  the  brute  and  human  species. 

I  amused  myself  to-day  in  looking  at  the  great  variety  of  persons 
who  passed  my  window.  They  appeared  to  be  a  mixture  of  Spanish 
and  Indian  blood,  and  are  called  by  the  Spanish  Mestizos.  Most  of 
the  females  are  quite  pretty  ;  jet  black  hair  hangs  in  large  tresses 
clown  the  back,  or  is  arranged  on  the  head.  There  is  to  be  seen  among 
them  as  great  a  variety  of  complexion  as  there  are  shades  of  color. 
Their  dress,  of  such  bright  colors,  in  checks,  makes  them  look  very 
odd.  As  I  walked  in  one  of  the  principal  streets,  there  were  persons 
sitting,  in  two  long  rows,  one  on  each  side  of  the  street,  selling  various 
calicoes  and  pinas. 

Manilla,  Saturday,  Dec.  2d.  — To-day  I  had  my  baggage  brought 
on  shore.  It  had  to  go  through  the  custom-house,  and  several  boxes 
of  tooth-powder  were  detained,  as  if  it  had  been  poison.  I  received  a 
note  from  the  officers,  stating  that  the  boxes  would  remain  in  their 
possession  till  Monday,  when  they  wished  me  to  call.  My  pistols  they 
did  not  discover  ;  but  my  trunks  were  pretty  thoroughly  overhauled. 

After  dinner  I  went  to  ride  with  Mr.  M.  in  the  Ualzada ;  just  at 
sunset  we  saw  numbers  of  the  Mestizos,  standing  by  the  way-side, 
facing  towards  the  city,  and  crossing  themselves,  as  it  the  bells  that 
were  chiming  had  commanded  thein  to  stop  and  observe  vespers.  Our 


142  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

postillion  (an  Indian)  stopped  the  carriage  a  few  minutes  also,  took 
off  his  hat,  and  crossed  himself.  Others  of  the  Spanish  people  did  the 
same.  On  our  way  home  we  stopped,  and  for  half  an  hour  prom- 
enaded the  Washington-street  of  Manilla.  We  passed  several  times 
the  night-patrols,  a  body  of  mounted  men  in  military  uniforms. 
Armed  guards  are  constantly  stationed  about  the  streets,  gates,  bridgen, 
&c.  At  eight  p.  M.  we  formed  a  party,  Mr.  N.  acting  as  guide,  to 
ride  out  to  see  the  illumination,  previous  to  the  feast,  which  takes 
place  to-morrow. 

Sunday,  Zd.  — This  is  the  day  of  the  "  Santa  Cruz  "  feast. 

Santa  Cruz  is  the  name  of  one  of  the  divisions  of  Manilla  ;  the  city 
being  divided  into  a  number  of  these,  like  our  wards,  although  the 
city  proper  has  a  wall  around  it,  distinct  from  the  other  parts.  The 
Spaniards  live  inside  the  walls,  and  the  Mestizos  outside. 

After  breakfast  I  rode  with  several  friends  to  call  upon  some  Mes- 
tizo families.  We  were  all  made  perfectly  welcome  at  whatever 
house  we  entered,  and  invited  to  partake  of  everything  the  house 
afforded.  Their  tables  were  loaded  with  all  kinds  of  pastry,  pre- 
serves, confectionery,  chocolate,  &c.  The  ladies  played  to  us  on  their 
harps,  and  produced  very  fine  music.  Those  of  our  company  who 
could  speak  Spanish  held  quite  a  lively  conversation  with  them  ;  those 
who  could  not  speak  it  had  to  sit  silent.  I  of  course  was  one  of  the 
silent  ones.  At  one  house  they  were  dancing  and  waltzing,  several 
of  the  families  having  bands  of  music,  which  they  hire  by  the  year. 
These  are  made  up  of  natives,  who  play  as  well  as  Europeans.  The 
ladies  were  dressed  like  Europeans,  and  danced  very  well,  though  with 
a  peculiar  shuffling  step. 

One  house,  owned  by  a  very  wealthy  widow  lady,  was  almost  like  a 
museum,  containing  a  great  number  of  curiosities,  with  which  several 
apartments  were  filled.  Among  these  were  stuffed  skins  of  birds  and 
wild  beasts  ;  thousands  of  shells  of  different  varieties,  many  of  them 
the  most  beautiful  I  had  ever  seen  ;  and  coins  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  not  excepting  the  United  States. 

Most  splendid  representations  of  Christ  and  the  cross,  images  of  the 
saints  in  silver  and  gold,  some  costing  hundreds  of  dollars,  were  to  be 
seen  ;  and  innumerable  articles  of  a  magnificent  character,  to  which  I 
could  not  give  names,  were  arranged  about  the  rooms  ;  and  tables  were 
covered  with  glass  vases  and  ornaments  without  number.  One  large 
table  was  filled  with  every  dainty  to  tempt  the  appetite,  and  we  were 
strongly  urged  to  partake.  But  I  found  it  hard  work  to  eat  at  every 
house,  for  we  went  to  a  great  many.  At  each  we  must  take  at  least 
one  of  their  little  cups  of  chocolate,  which  was  very  thick  and  rich, 
until  I  began  to  think  I  should  have  to  sign  off ;  for  I  had  taken  so 
many  I  could  hardly  taste  or  smell  anything  but  chocolate. 

We  entered  one  Indian  house  where  a  dozen  persons  were  seated 
around  a  table,  and,  although  Sunday,  were  engaged  in  card-playing. 
One  Indian  Catholic  priest  was  also  playing.  They  were  not  in  the 
least  disconcerted  by  our  visit,  keeping  on  as  before.  Here  we  were 
offered  water  to  drink,  sweetmeats  to  eat,  betel-nut  to  chew,  and 
cheroots  to  smoke.  The  betel-nut  seems  to  take  the  place  of  our 


MANILLA. FEAST.  143 

tobacco  for  chewing,  and  to  be  a  principal  item  in  their  offerings  of 
hospitality.  It  is  a  bitter  astringent  nut,  a  piece  of  which  is  rolled 
in  moistened  lime,  and  wrapped  in  a  freshly-gathered,  pungent,  aro- 
matic leaf,  belonging  to  the  running  vine  of  a  pepper-plant.  These 
are  then  put  into  the  mouth,  and  chewed  all  together.  The  betel-nut 
grows  in  large  clusters  near  the  top  of  a  tall  and  beautiful  tree  of  the 
palm  species.  At  two  p.  M.  we  returned  home. 

I  was  invited  by  Mr.  Kierulf  to  dine  with  him,  and  go  to  witness 
the  procession,  which  was  to  appear  at  five  p.  M.  After  dinner  we 
called  at  a  Mestizo  house  where  he  was  acquainted,  and  there  waited 
for  the  procession  to  pass.  The  streets  were  full  of  people  and  mounted 
police.  No  carriage  was  allowed  to  pass  down  this  street,  and  several 
which  had  entered  were  stopped,  the  guard  presenting  a  drawn 
sword.  On  one  occasion  the  guard  came  racing  down  the  street  after 
a  carriage  ;  and,  dashing  in  front,  struck  the  postillion  several  times 
with  his  sword,  in  doing  which  his  horse  suddenly  whirled  about,  and 
threw  him  flat  upon  the  pavement. 

There  were  present  in  the  house  where  we  were  several  families  of 
the  upper  class  of  Spaniards,  this  being  the  only  occasion  in  the  year 
when  they  visit  their  Mestizo  friends.  Several  of  the  young  ladies 
were  very  amiable  and  handsome,  but  I  could  not  converse  with  them, 
which,  after  an  introduction,  was  a  great  deprivation.  A  little  after 
dark  the  procession  passed.  First  came  a  large  cross,  and  torch-bearers 
in  long  rows,  with  lighted  torches  ;  then  the  musicians  ;  then  the 
images  of  different  saints,  and  the  Virgin  Mary  with  the  infant  Jesus, 
all  dressed  in  beautiful  robes  and  glittering  tinsel.  I  should  think 
there  were  some  twelve  or  fifteen  images  in  all,  and  each  borne  on 
platforms  on  the  shoulders  of  several  men.  Lastly  came  the  priests, 
&c.  It  was  magnificent  to  look  upon  the  first  of  the  kind  I  had  ever 
seen.  We  went  around  to  the  various  houses,  feasting  and  listening 
to  music  till  near  twelve  at  night.  Several  others  joined  our  party, 
and  we  went  in  company.  At  one  house  we  stepped  in  and  took  seats 
at  the  long  table  spread  out  at  full  length,  and  loaded  with  soups, 
meats,  pies,  wines,  fruits,  nuts,  &c.,  for  supper.  People  were  con- 
stantly getting  up  and  sitting  down,  as  fast  as  room  was  made.  Ser- 
vants were  busy  replenishing  and  carrying  away  the  empty  dishes.  We 
all  received  as  cordial  a  welcome  as  if  we  had  been  acquainted  for  years, 
and  were  obliged  to  go  through  the  ceremonies  of  eating,  however 
much  against  our  inclinations.  I  never  saw  people  so  very  hospitable  ; 
it  seemed  as  if  they  could  not  do  enough  for  their  guests.  After 
the  supper,  we  passed  into  the  large  front  rooms  open  to  the  street. 
These  were  filled  with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  walking,  sitting,  and 
standing  ;  and  all  engaged  in  lively,  cheerful  conversation.  Some  of 
the  ladies  were  too  pretty  and  interesting  for  me  to  resist  having  a  lit- 
tle conversation  with  them ;  and,  after  I  had  exhausted  my  few  words 
of  Spanish,  I  found  myself  still  engaged  with  them,  using  more  than  a 
dozen  English  words  to  one  of  Spanish.  Sometimes  one  would  ask  me 
if  I  understood,  to  which  I  would  reply,  "  0,  yes  ;  "  when  she  would 
say,  '•  Why,  no  you  don't,"  and  away  would  run  and  bring  an  inter- 
preter, who  would  set  us  aright,  and  then  leave  us  to  go  on  again.  The 


144  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Spanish  ladies  seem  to  have  the  faculty  of  making  themselves  very 
agreeable,  even  when  with  foreigners  who  do  not  speak  their 
language. 

Monady,  December  4/A.  —  I  called  on  the  custom-house  authorities 
to  get  my  affairs  settled,  but  was  only  able  to  accomplish  a  part.  They 
require  me  to  get  permission  from  the  governor  to  remain,  even  a  few 
days,  in  Manilla ;  and  also  some  responsible  person  to  go  with  me 
to  the  governor,  and  give  bonds  for  my  debts,  respectful  behavior, 
&c.  &c. 

After  dinner  I  rode  a  few  miles  into  the  country  with  Mr.  Napper, 
calling  at  two  houses,  both  Indian.  The  first  was  one  of  the  poorer 
class,  —  not  the  best  nor  the  worst  of  its  kind,  —  and  was  built  of  bain- 
boo,  cane,  matting,  thatched  with  straw,  &c.,  and  raised  four  or  five 
feet  from  the  ground  on  four  piles.  The  inside  was  ornamented  with 
various  pictures,  splendid  crucifixes,  &c.  They  offered  us  water,  cigars, 
and  betel-nuts.  The  other  was  a  large  house,  built  in  the  Spanish 
style,  and  occupied  by  the  priest,  a  Roman  Catholic  Indian.  We  did 
not  see  him,  but  saw  the  uncle's  daughters,  and  their  cousins.  One 
of  the  daughters  was  sick,  and,  learning  that  I  was  a  doctor,  requested 
my  advice.  At  a  glance  I  saw  that  she  was  inclining  to  consumption. 
It  was  not  a  little  difficult,  and  a  slow  process,  to  question  her  concern- 
ing her  case,  as  she  spoke  only  the  Indian  language.  I  was  obliged  to 
call  in  Mr.  N.  to  interpret ;  and  he,  not  speaking  the  Indian  language 
much,  was  obliged,  in  turn,  to  ask  the  cousin,  and  the  cousin  the 
patient.  The  answers  came  in  Indian  to  the  cousin,  who  translated 
them  into  Spanish  for  Mr.  N.,  who  translated  them  to  me  in  English  ; 
and,  by  the  time  it  reached  me,  I  had  almost  forgotten  the  question 
I  had  asked.  I  ascertained,  however,  that  my  first  surmises  were 
correct,  and  wrote  a  prescription,  directing  the  regimen,  and  other 
particulars. 

The  cousin  was  a  pretty  and  finely-formed  Indian  girl,  dressed  in 
the  Mestizo  fashion.  After  some  acquaintance  with  her  mother  and 
other  friends  in  the  adjoining  room,  she  became  full  of  her  jokes  and 
prattle.  She  said  she  had  lost  her  love  lately  ;  he  had  died,  and  she 
wanted  to  know  what  she  should  do  for  it. 

I  told  her  the  best  restorative  was  plenty  of  air,  exercise,  and 
occupation. 

"  0  !  "  she  says ;  "  American  dottor,  humbudd  !  " 

On  our  return  we  went  to  the  Indian  theatre.  The  play  was  taken 
from  scenes  among  the. Moors  and  Christians.  The  band,  the  scenery, 
acting,  costumes,  fancy  dance  by  a  little  girl  and  boy,  the  style  of  the 
house  and  boxes,  were  all  very  well.  The  building  was  put  together 
very  rudely,  the  timbers  inside  being  tied  together  with  rattan  strips. 
The  ceiling  was  like  basket-work,  painted  white.  Chairs  were  used 
for  seats,  and  the  floor  was  like  those  of  our  theatres  at  home.  The 
audience  were  mostly  Indians  and  Mestizos,  and  nearly  all  were 
smoking  — women,  men,  boys  and  girls;  and  the  alcalde  (the  gov- 
ernor) even  made  his  appearance  with  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  and  sat  for 
an  hour,  though  the  Spanish  seldom  attend.  We  could  not  understand 
a  word  said,  for  all  was  in  the  Indian  language.  The  ticket-master 


MANILLA. FREAK    OF    AX    ORANG-OUTANG.  145 

•would  not  take  our  money,  but  told  us,  with  a  lo«r  bow,  to  "  pass  in  ;  " 
and  we  met  the  proprietor,  who  politely,  though  in  Indian,  gave  us 
seats. 

Tuesday,  December  5th.  —  T  called  again  on  Mr.  Griswold,  at  Russell 
&  Sturgis',  to  get  my  affairs  with  the  authorities  settled.  They 
kindly  become  bondsmen  to  the  government,  giving  security  to  a 
considerable  amount  for  my  behavior,  debts,  &c.,  and  sign  the  letter 
requesting  permission  for  me  to  remain  in  Manilla  ;  but  it  was  too  late 
for  the  authorities  to  be  found  in  their  offices  to-day. 

I  visited,  with  Seiior  B.,  the  house  of  a  Spanish  lady.  We  saw  the 
step-mother,  and  a  pretty  young  lady,  who  played  the  piano  and  sung 
very  well.  I  had  some  conversation,  through  Mr.  B.,  who  interpreted. 
She  inquired  particularly  about  my  family  in  America,  and  was 
amused  to  learn  that  it  comprised  so  many  doctors.  She  gave  me  a 
cordial  invitation  to  the  house  whenever  I  chose  to  call  ;  or,  if  I 
wished  to  practise  music  (as  I  told  her  I  was  fond  of  hearing  it),  her 
piano  was  at  my  service  any  time. 

The  interview  was  rather  amusing,  yet  stupid  for  me.  Only  a  few 
such  Spanish  words  coming  to  my  mind  as  "  gracias  "  (thank  you), 
"  buenos  noches  "  (good-night),  very  good,  very  well,  and  such  terms  ; 
and  some  of  these  came  in  pretty  often  ;  for,  if  she  did  not  wish  to 
wait  for  the  interpretation,  she  would  address  the  Spanish  directly  to 
me,  and  I  felt  obliged  to  answer  something  at  once. 

Wednesday,  December  6th. — Mr.  Sturgis  very  politely  took  me  in 
his  carriage,  and  accompanied  me  to  the  government  buildings  within 
the  city  walls  or  fortifications.  "  The  decree  had  not  yet  fallen  "  from 
the  governor,  and  we  returned  without  .accomplishing  anything.  At 
evening  a  company  of  native  musicians  came  in,  and  gave  us  tunes 
from  their  instruments,  and  melodies  from  their  voices.  A  little  boy 
and  girl  of  their  number  danced  polkas  and  waltzed.  There  were  two 
other  Indians  performing  on  the  flute  and  violin  at  the  other  end  of 
the  hall,  each  group  facing  the  other;  and  we  had  music  from  both 
parties  alternately,  though  they  were  competitors. 

The  orang-outang  had  another  flare-up  with  me  to-day,  because  I 
left  him  too  suddenly.  He  stood  holding  his  head  pensively  in  my  lap  ; 
and,  as  soon  as  I  started  to  go,  he  threw  himself  on  the  floor,  and, 
screaming,  rapidly  knocked  his  head,  then  chased  after  me,  and,  not 
being  able  to  catch  me,  would  again  whirl  over  sprawling  on  the  floor, 
catching  at  the  legs  of  the  tables  and  chairs,  and  screaming  with  all 
his  power. 

Some  time  after,  he  watched  his  opportunity,  and,  before  I  knew  it, 
had  hold  of  my  leg,  to  which  he  clung  tight,  till  he  had,  hand-over- 
hand, got  his  arms  around  my  body.  It  was  some  time  before  I  could 
release  myself  from  him,  which  was  not  till  I  had  allowed  him  to 
remain  a  while,  to  become  pacified. 

Thursday,  December  1th.  —  I  called  again,  with  Mr.  Sturgis,  on  the 
officials,  and  signed  a  paper,  which  Mr.  S.  also  signed,  becoming  my 
security. 

A  large  snake,  of  the  anaconda  species,  fourteen  feet  long,  was  taken 
by  the  Indians  this  morning  from  a  pile  of  wood  and  rubbish,  and 
13 


146  CllINA    AND    MANILLA. 

fastened  by  his  neck  to  a  pole.  Around  that  he  twined,  like  the  ser- 
pent of  Moses,  and  thus  exhibited  himself  in  the  court-yard  of  the 
hotel. 

After  dinner  I  rode  with  Seiior  Barado,  to  take  a  view  of  the  buildings 
in  the  city  proper  —  the  chapels,  cathedral,  nunnery,  lady's  college, 
government  buildings,  tobacco-house,  fortifications,  execution  ground, 
&c.  We  passed  gangs  of  criminals  in  irons,  returning  from  their  labor 
to  prison,  guarded  by  armed  soldier  attendants.  The  public  buildings 
had  a  very  ancient  appearance,  being  blackened  by  age  and  covered 
with  moss,  sprouts  of  vegetable  matter,  and  little  plants.  At  evening 
we  called  at  Sefior  B.'s  house,  and  there  partook  of  chocolate  and 
sweetmeats.  Two  Indian  servants  played  the  guitar  and  flute,  while 
we  waltzed  with  some  of  the  ladies.  We  then  rode  again  into  the 
city,  and  listened  to  fine  music  from  the  bands  in  front  of  the  govern- 
or's house,  and  on  the  Calzada.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

Manilla,  December  8th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTERS  :  This  is  another  holiday,  or  feast-day,  and 
nothing  is  done  in  the  way  of  business.  After  breakfast,  with  Mr. 
Napper,  in  his  carriage,  and  Mr.  Moses  following  behind  in  a  sulky, 
we  started  for  the  feast  at  a  place  about  eight  miles  in  the  country, 
called  Pac-ig. 

At  San  Pedro,  six  miles  out,  we  stopped  at  an  Indian  house,  where 
they  provided  us  with  refreshment,  and  we  got  a  banker  (a  small 
canoe)  to  take  us  up  the  river.  About  a  dozen  Indians  ran  along  by 
the  carriage  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  offering  their  services  and  canoea 
up  the  river  Our  postillion  took  the  carriage  back  to  the  village,  and 
we  were  paddled  up  about  two  miles  in  a  little  narrow  banca.  We 
joined  some  other  friends  from  Manilla,  and,  making  up  a  party  of  six, 
visited  at  the  different  Mestizo  houses  all  day,  their  tables  being 
loaded  with  the  usual  variety  of  sweetmeats,  chocolate,  &c.,  open  arid 
free  to  all  visitors.  At  evening  we  were  again  together,  visiting  at 
other  houses,  where  we  seated  ourselves,  listening  to  the  music  of  the 
piano,  harp,  and  voices.  At  every  house  a  table  was  set  as  in  the  day- 
time, and  covered  with  sweetmeats,  &c.,  of  which  all  were  welcome  to 
partake.  The  procession  was,  as  usual,  of  a  religions  character,  and 
very  pretty,  but  short.  From  almost  every  house  that  was  passed  pro- 
ceeded music  ;  and  the  streets  were  brilliantly  illuminated  and  hand- 
somely ornamented. 

During  the  day  I  went  into  the  church,  which  is  very  large.  I 
understand  that  the  Catholic  is  the  only  religion  tolerated  on  the 
island  of  Luconia.  This  church  appeared  as  if  it  had  stood  for  ages. 
The  inside  was  very  beautiful,  and  about  the  altar  was  a  great  quan- 
tity of  silver  plate.  Near  by  is  a  circular  stone  building,  raised  upon 
eight  arches,  in  which  was  a  large  image  of  Christ  crucified.  Human 
bones  and  skulls  were  lying  scattered  about  in  the  enclosure  outside, 
which  I  presume  was  the  burying-place. 

We  all  started  at  half-past  nine  for  home  ;  and,  going  back  .to  look 
for  two  of  our  companions,  found  thty  had  stopped  at  another  house, 


MAXILLA. AN    INDIAN    COCK-FIGHT.  147 

where  they  heard  music,  and  were  again  dancing  and  waltzing.  "We 
then  visited  still  another  house,  which  we  did  not  leave  till  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning.  In  this  last  house  we  waltzed  on  a  floor  con- 
structed of  bamboo  strips  interwoven,  though  the  owner,  an  Indian, 
was  worth  forty  or  fifty  thousand  dollars.  This  was  not  very  easily 
done  on  such  a  bending,  basket-like  floor ;  but  all  must  dance.  If 
they  could  not  dance,  they  must  hop  and  jump,  which  would  answer 
as  well.  The  proprietor  continued  to  dance  with  almost  frantic  stepa 
and  leaps,  as  if  he  would  never  stop.  I  wished  Mr.  N.  to  ask  him  if 
he  was  not  fatigued.  He  did  so,  and  the  reply  was, 

"  When  he  danced,  he  danced,  and  as  long  as  he  could  stand  ;  and 
when  he  worked,  he  worked  till  ho  was  ready  to  drop  down." 

In  his  ardor  the  Indian  caught  hold  of  me,  and  whirled  me  in  the 
waltz  for  about  fifteen  minutes  in  such  quick  time  as  I  had  not 
experienced  before  ;  and  when  we  were  through  he  patted  mo  on  the 
shoulder,  and  cried  out, 

"  Bueno,  bueno  Americana  !  " 

Saturday,  December  $th.  —  Our  party  left  Pac-ig  this  morning 
about  four  o'clock.  With  the  aid  of  the  river's  current  we  came 
down  in  canoes  very  rapidly,  being  only  about  an  hour.  The  moon 
shone  brightly,  the  scenery  on  the  banks  was  very  pretty,  and  the 
motion  of  the  banca  produced  sufficient  breeze  to  make  it  comfort- 
able. We  reclined  squeezed  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoes,  and 
although  nearly  asleep,  yet  from  the  novelty  we  enjoyed  it  very  much. 
These  little  boats  are  only  wide  enough  for  one,  though  long  enough 
for  several,  and  the  sensation  they  produced  was  to  make  one  imagine 
that  he  was  in  a  coffin  ;  which,  again,  was  not  so  agreeable.  Having 
been  on  our  feet  most  of  the  day,  in  a  hot  sun,  and  dancing  all  the 
evening,  we  were  naturally  disposed  to  be  quiet ;  and  so,  on  arriving 
home  in  seiison,  we  enjoyed  a  few  hours'  sleep. 

1  took  a  drive  with  Mr.  A.  a  few  miles  into  the  country  before 
dinner.  I  had  not  been  that  route  before,  and  found  it  au  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  one. 

Sunday,  December  10t.h.  —  After  breakfast  I  rode  with  Mr.  Napper 
and  other  friends,  and  passed  an  Indian  cock-fight,  in  an  amphitheatre. 
We  went  in  and  witnessed  a  number  of  combats,  but  left  on  seeing 
one  cock  killed  by  his  adversary.  It  seemed  cruel  to  arm  them  with 
Kiich  sharp  and  pointed  weapons,  which  were  made  hollow  to  slip  over 
the  spurs,  with  an  edge  as  sharp  as  a  razor,  and  shaped  like  a  curved 
penknife-blade.  The  cock  that  was  killed  and  his  antagonist  had  not 
fought  a  minute  before  they  both  fell,  at  the  same  time,  one  upon  the 
other,  apparently  lifeless.  As  they  thus  lay,  a  great  tumult  arotw 
among  those  betting  or  interested  in  the  game  to  decide  which  was 
the  conqueror ;  for  the  dollars  which  lay  in  small  piles  around  were 
ready  to  be  claimed  by  the  winning  side.  In  the  midst  of  the  dispute 
and  excitement,  when  the  decision  was  about  to  be  made  in  favor  of  the 
one  which  lell  at  the  top,  the  one  underneath  jumped  up  and  ran  off. 
Then  came  a  shout  and  hurra,  and  it  was  immediately  decided  that 
the  one  which  ran  away  was  beaten,  and  the  dead  cock  remained  the 
conqueror.  The  proprietors  of  the  establishment,  for  a  license,  pay 


148  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

the  government  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year.  They  charge  twelve  and 
a  half  cents  as  an  admission  fee,  and  receive  a  certain  percentage  of 
all  the  money  staked.  Hundreds  of  cocks  were  there,  tied  up  hy  one 
leg  in  different  places  around  the  grounds,  ready  for  a  combat. 

Two  American  men-of-war,  telegraphed  yesterday,  came  in  this 
afternoon.  I  went  on  board  the  "  Plymouth  "  with  Mr.  Napper,  and 
met  several  friends. 

Monday,  December  l]th. —  This  evening  Mr.  M.  had  a  supper- party 
in  his  room,  consisting  of  several  friends  from  the  "  Plymouth  "  and 
myself.  We  remained  at  the  table  an  hour  and  a  half,  with  toasts 
and  songs,  the  evening's  amusement  commencing  at  ten.  Music  and 
dancing  filled  up  the  remaining  hours.  I  sent  my  baggage  to  the 
new  boarding-place,  Dona  Agipita's,  to-day,  but  lodged  at  my  old 
home  at  the  hotel  this  night.  In  the  former  part  of  the  evening  I 
was  called  to  see  an  Indian  woman  in  fits.  An  hour  was  sufficient  to 
restore  her  to  consciousness. 

Tuesday,  December  12th.  —  Was  in  my  room  at  my  new  boarding- 
place  most  of  the  day,  selecting  and  learning  some  phrases  in  Spanish, 
to  make  myself  understood,  if  possible ;  for  no  one  speaks  English 
here. 

In  the  evening  Seiior  Papia,  a  Spaniard,  invited  me,  with  some 
others  from  the  hotel,  to  his  house  in  the  city.  I  went  with  Mr.  X. 
There  were  two  pretty  young  ladies,  and  after  tea  they  gave  us  music 
on  the  piano  and  harp,  to  which  all  waltzed,  danced,  and  sung.  They 
sang  a  number  of  very  fine  Spanish  songs.  The  one  who  played  the 
harp  was  only  thirteen  years  of  age,  though  she  seemed  sixteen  or 
eighteen. 

Wednesday,  December  13th.  —  The  barometer  has  fallen  since  yester- 
day thirty  hundredth^,  indicating  a  severe  blow.  This  evening  it 
rains,  and  begins  to  blow  like  the  typhoon  in  China.  We  have  closed 
up  the  house.  My  room  has  the  windows  of  the  veranda  and  the 
doors  shut  (though  usually  all  are  open),  which  is  stifling,  this  hot 
weather. 

Thursday,  December  14th.  —  My  doors,  windows,  &c.,  being  closed, 
I  did  not  wake  'ill  past  nine  this  morning.  It  blew  very  hard  during 
the  night,  but  I  hear  of  no  damage  done. 

Friday,  December  15th.  —  Dr.  Skinner  assisting,  I  administered 
chloroform  to  a  gentleman,  and  removed  several  carious  teeth.  Much 
surprise  was  manifested  by  him  when  he  learned  that  the  operation 
had  been  done,  and  without  pain  or  consciousness. 

Sunday,  December  17th.  —  A  Mestizo  lady  called  this  morning  for 
medical  advice.  Mr.  N.  interpreted  for  her,  and  I  thought  she  never 
would  get  to  the  end  of  her  story,  mixing  into  her  case  her  present, 
past,  and  future  history,  and  that  of  her  relations.  Breakfasted  at 
the  hotel  at  nine  o'clock,  after  which  Mr.  N.  and  I  accompanied  the 
purser  on  board  the  "  Plymouth,"  where  we  took  tiffin,  and  after- 
wards dined  with  Captain  Gedney.  Yours,  &c. 

B.  L.  B. 


MANILLA. AN    ECCENTRIC    MESTIZO.  149 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

LETTER  TO  A  BROTHER.  —  EXCURSION  TO  LACUNAS.  — CROSSING   THE  LAKES. 

INDIAN   HOUSE. LETTER   TO  A  SISTER. EXCURSION  CONTINUED. 

CROCODILE   LAKE. DUCKS. 

LETTER   TO    A   BROTHER. 

Manilla,  December  18th. 

DEAR  BROTHER  J.  :  The  heat  of  the  weather  here  is  enervating,  and 
I  generally  contrive  to  keep  in  the  house  a  part  of  the  day,  remaining  in 
during  the  middle  hours.  Dinner  is  served  at  four  p.  M.,  and  after- 
wards it  is  customary  to  take  a  drive  to  the  Calzada.  One  who  has 
not  been  in  a  hot  climate  can  hardly  conceive  of  the  luxury  of  a  ride 
towards  night,  after  the  heat  of  the  day,  when  the  cooler  air  begins  to 
return.  This  afternoon  I  had  an  engagement  with  Mr.  M.,  and  we 
went  on  board  the  "  Plymouth  "  to  take  leave  of  some  friends,  the 
vessel  being  about  to  depart  for  China,  with  the  United  States  Commis- 
sioner Davis,  and  Commodore  Geisenger.  Most  of  the  Americans 
living  here,  and  a  number  of  Spaniards,  were  on  board.  After  a  pull 
around  in  the  bay,  we  returned  home  to  take  a  ride  into  the  country  ; 
but  I  had  lent  my  carriage,  which  had  not  been  returned,  and  I  was 
forced  to  remain  at  the  house.  The  Spanish,  and  most  of  the  foreign- 
ers here,  keep  their  carriages ;  walking  out  is  a  rare  exercise,  though 
I  frequently  do  so  witli  an  umbrella.  The  horses  here  are  smaller 
than  ours.  Your  large  blacks  would  make  a  most  respectable  appear- 
ance among  them. 

To-day  1  had  an  interview  with  a  wealthy  Mestizo  gentleman ,  who 
is  said  to  be  worth  a  million  of  dollars,  and  is  upwards  of  eighty  years 
of  age.  After  chatting  a  while,  through  an  interpreter,  he  gave  me 
his  address  and  left,  saying  he  should  call  again.  lie  is  very  eccentric, 
plain  and  independent,  and  in  walking  is  obliged  to  lean  upon  hia 
Indian  servant.  One  of  his  eccentricities  is,  that  he  has  three  daugh- 
ters, far  past  the  desirable  age  of  matrimony,  each  of  whom  he  has 
always  opposed  in  any  alliance  of  that  kind.  One  of  them  once  eloped, 
some  years  since,  and  went  with  her  lover  to  the  church  to  be  married  ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  the  ceremony  she  repented,  and  returned  home 
without  a  husband,  very  much  to  the  joy  of  her  father. 

At  nine  this  eve  Mr.  N.  drove  us  to  Seiior  Tuason's  to  arrange 
about  going  to  the  "  lagunas  "  (lakes).  Christmas  week  in  Manilla  ia 
one  holiday  ;  no  business  is  done.  The  lakes  are  thirty  miles  in  the 
country,  and  are  celebrated  for  pretty  scenery,  crocodiles,  lizards  of 
the  larger  species,  ducks,  serpents,  &c.  There  is  also  a  volcanic  moun- 
tain to  be  seen  in  that  region. 

By  invitation  fr;;m  Mr.  G.,  I  dined  with  him,  meeting  a  pleasant 
company  of  Americans,  in  tho  wholesome  American  style* 
lo* 


150  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Wednesday,  December  20th.  —  I  took  a  sail  in  the  harbor  with  Mr. 
A.  and  Mr.  N.,  calling  on  board  of  several  vessels,  —  one  Spanish,  two 
English,  and  the  American  man-of-war  "  Preble." 

Saturday,  December  23d.  —  I  went  over  to  the  city  and  called  upon 
the  alcalde,  in  compliance  with  a  notice  to  all  foreigners  to  that  effect. 
Some  ladies  called  to  request  my  services  for  the  diseased  eye  of  one 
of  their  party.  Towards  night  we  dined  ;  and  immediately  after  we 
set  out  for  the  lagunas,  and  volcano.  Mr.  Hood,  formerly  of  New 
York,  has  done  me  the  favor  to  procure  a  passport  of  the  governor- 
general,  permitting  me  to  go  into  the  country.  Our  party  was  com- 
posed of  six  persons  —  Mr.  Napper,  Captain  Wood,  Mr.  luason,  Mr. 
Marshal,  Mr.  Alexander,  and  myself.  Two  carriages  took  us  a  few 
miles  up  the  river,  to  San  Pedro,  giving  us  a  pleasant  ride,  and 
affording  more  variety  than  to  have  taken  boats  all  the  way.  We 
stopped  at  the  house  of  Captain  Synod,  an  Indian,  who  was  pleased 
to  treat  us  to  beer  ;  but  he  was  still  more  pleased  when  we  granted 
his  request  to  sing  a  few  songs.  We  sent  the  carriages  back,  and 
embarked  in  two  bankers  —  long,  narrow  canoes,  hollowed  out  of 
single  logs. 

At  Pac-ig,  a  few  miles  on,  we  called  at  Seiior  Antonio's,  and  made  a 
supper  in  part  from  the  provisions  we  had  brought  with  us.  We 
sang  several  songs  for  the  amusement  of  the  family.  Among  these 
were  "  America,1'  "  Old  Lang  Syne,"  and  "  Long.  Long  Ago,"  which 
they  seemed  to  enjoy  much.  We  were  very  hospitably  treated  at  both 
houses.  These  people  are  of  the  better  class,  and  have  the  largest  and 
best  dwellings.  The  houses  are  built  after  the  European  fashion,  with 
large  and  high  rooms,  decorated  with  pictures  and  various  ornaments, 
and  long  entries  and  verandas.  The  lower  part  is  built  of  granite 
resting  on  arches,  with  long  and  wide  stone  steps.  This  class  of 
Indians  speak  both  the  Indian  and  Spanish  languages,  and  are  quite 
wealthy. 

Soon  after  starting,  we  loaded  our  guns  and  pistols,  and  slept  on 
them.  Both  bankers  were  lashed  together,  side  by  side,  HO  that  in 
case  of  any  disturbance  we  might  be  all  together,  to  act  as  circum- 
stances should  require.  We  were  seated  in  the  bottom  of  the  bankers, 
•which  were  just  wide  enough  to  confine  our  sides,  all  in  single  file 
and  facing  the  same  way  ;  and  for  an  hour  we  laughed  and  talked  at 
our  ludicrous  situation,  until,  one  after  the  other,  we  fell  ajsleep. 
Between  eleven  and  twelve  at  night  we  were  aroused  by  the  stopping 
and  noise  of  the  boatmen,  and  found  ourselves  at  the  entrance  of  the 
layunas.  Not  more  than  half  awake,  seeing  strange  boats  approach- 
ing, and  not  knowing  that  we  were  to  make  a  change  here,  we  con- 
cluded that  an  attack  on  us  was  about  to  be  made,  and  we  caught  up 
our  arms  and  prepared  for  action.  It  was  soon  explained  that  it  was 
the  prow,  coming  to  take  us  on  the  lakes  ;  and  we  removed  ourselves 
and  baggage,  without  further  alarm,  into  the  prow.  This  was  a  larger 
boat,  hollowed  out  of  a  large  tree,  rigged  with  sails,  and  covered  in  like 
the  top  of  a  teamster's  waggon.  We  had  a  lantern,  and  arranged  things 
pretty  comfortably,  though  the  bamboo  covering  over  our  heads  was  so 
low  as  not  to  f<oruiU  of  our  standing  ;  and  we  had  either  to  take  the 


MANILLA. EXCURSION    TO    THE    LAKES.  151 

recumbent  posture,  or  sit  on  the  same  level,  with  our  feet  straightened 
out  before  us.  We  were  soon  under  way  ;  and,  little  or  nothing  being 
distinguishable  in  the  darkness,  we  sunk  into  repose  again. 

Sunday,  December  24th. —  We  were  sailing  the  whole  night  ;  and 
this  morning  early  we  were  up,  or  part  way  up,  looking  out  and 
enjoying  the  quiet  scenery  of  the  lake  we  were  crossing.  Afterwards 
we  passed  into  a  little  river,  and  at  nine  A.  M.  we  landed  at  Binyang, 
an  Indian  settlement  a  short  distance  from  the  lake.  The  banks 
of  the  river  were  thickly  wooded,  and  many  birds  of  bright  plumage 
were  flitting  among  the  branches  of  the  trees.  Mr.  N.  shot  several  ; 
but  they  were  so  very  beautiful  —  golden-yellow,  red,  and  blue  — that 
I  did  not  like  to  kill  any  myself.  We  walked  a  while  among  the 
bamboo  houses,  and  then  crossed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  on  a 
bridge  made  of  strips  of  bamboo,  woven  like  basket-work.  It  required 
a  little  resolution,  at  first,  to  step  one  foot  after  the  other  on  this 
yielding  material ;  and  we  passed  slowly  over,  more  frightened  than 
hurt. 

At  this  village  we  went  to  the  house  of  a  wealthy  Indian  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  N.,  and  were  treated  to  all  the  hospitalities  his  house  could 
afford,  and  strongly  urged  to  remain  to  breakiiist ;  but,  as  we  had  our 
own  provisions  in  the  prow,  we  returned  to  a  house  near  the  landing 
kept  by  a  Mustesoe  widow,  and  paid  her  a  small  sum  to  be  accommo- 
dated. Our  provisions  and  dishes  were  brought ;  our  boys  prepared 
the  food,  and  we  breakfasted  as  independently  as  six  kings. 

At  eleven  A.  M.  we  started  to  go  to  a  town  twenty-five  or  thirty 
miles  across  the  lake.  The  weather  was  windy,  and  the  water  rough, 
wetting  us  now  and  then.  We  should  have  capsized  often,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  "  outriggers"  fixed  on  the  sides  ;  these  struck  upon  the 
water  when  the 'boat  tipped,  and  kept  it  in  an  upright  position  ;  it 
was  a  simple  frame-work,  curved,  extending  eight  or  ten  feet  from  the 
sides  like  two  wings,  and  when  the  prow  was  upright  hovered  eight 
or  ten  inches  above  the  water. 

As  we  approached  the  shore,  fifteen  miles  distant,  we  could  see 
rising  volumes  of  dense  white  vapor,  which  the  boatmen  told  us 
came  from  a  boiling  spring.  About  four  p.  M.  we  reached  the  shore 
and  landed,  but  had  hardly  left  the  prow  before  we  concluded  there 
was  time  to  visit  Crocodile  Lake  before  dark,  and  we  set  off  again  for 
that  purpose.  This  was  only  a  few  miles  distant,  and  when  it  was 
over  and  we  would  land,  the  boatmen  were  afraid  of  the  rocks,  over 
which  the  water  was  breaking.  All  that  we  could  say —  that  we  were 
not  afraid,  that  a  wetting  would  not  hurt  us,  that  they  (the  boatmen) 
only  wanted  an  excuse  to  get  back,  in  order  to  have  the  remainder  of 
the  day  to  themselves,  &c.  —  would  not  change  their  purpose.  After 
scolding  at  and  disputing  with  them  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  with 
the  outside  bank  of  Crocodile  Lake  before  our  eyes,  we  were  obliged  to 
yield,  and  refrain  from  any  attempt  at  landing.  We  then  told  the 
boatmen  to  go  where  they  liked  ;  we  did  not  care  if  they  went  home 
again,  and  we  should  know  what  boat  to  engage  another  time.  But 
they  took  another  view  of  the  shore,  and  the  Indian  captain  shaking 
his  head,  round  wecamo,  facing  back  again.  They  stood  out  r->\v  into 


152  CHINA    AND    MAXILLA. 

the  lake,  BO  as  to  make  a  long  tack,  the  wind  being  ahead.  We  were 
all  much  disappointed,  and  I  particularly  so  ;  for  I  realized  so  well 
that  when  an  opportunity  is  once  allowed  to  slip  through  the  fingers  it 
is  hard  to  recover  again ;  and  I  should  have  proposed  swimming  to 
Crocodile  Lake,  had  not  the  thoughts  of  a  stray  crocodile  checked  me. 
After  a  couple  of  hours  of  tedious  beating  back,  we  landed  with  our 
guns  to  walk  along  the  shore  while  the  boat  should  continue  on  its 
way  to  the  boiling  springs.  We  found  nothing  of  note,  except  some 
large  birds,  which  carefully  kept  out  of  our  reach,  till  we  arrived  at  the 
springs.  These  proved  to  be  a  small  stream  of  hot  water,  which  ran 
part  of  the  way  under  ground,  and  part  of  the  way  out,  emptied  into 
the  lake,  and  produced  the  clouds  of  steam.  The  origin  of  the  stream 
is  not  known,  but  it  can  be  traced  several  miles  back  to  the  moun- 
tains, where,  no  doubt,  the  water  is  heated  from  volcanic  influences. 
At  the  place  where  the  water  empties  into  the  lake  the  Indians  were 
scalding  hogs  ;  and  where  the  water  even  mixed  with  that  in  the 
lake  we  tried  the  temperature  by  dipping  in  our  fingers,  winch  we 
gladly  withdrew  the  same  instant. 

At  dark,  all  our  provisions,  sleeping  apparatus,  and  various  other 
things,  were  brought  from  the  prow,  and  deposited  in  our  room,  which 
we  engaged  at  an  Indian  house  for  safer  keeping  ;  and  while  dinner 
was  preparing  we  went  up  a  little  distance  to  the  padre's  (priest's) 
house,  and  made  a  call  on  him.  We  remained  a  half-hour,  during 
which  he  was  very  sociable  and  agreeable,  giving  all  the  information 
of  this  part  of  the  country  he  was  able.  I  managed  to  make  a  few 
inquiries  of  him,  through  the  three  who  could  speak  Spanish,  about  the 
volcano.  But  he  said  so  much  of  the  distance,  the  time,  the  bad 
roads,  the  robbers,  and  various  difficulties,  that  my  feelings  were  too 
much  damped  to  hear  more,  and  I  was  glad  when  he  stopped. 
Several  of  our  party  were  already  so  convinced  of  its  utter  impractica- 
bility that  they  thought  it  was  useless  to  think  of  the  project  any 
longer  ;  but  to  me  the  visit  to  the  volcano  was  the  dearest  wish  of 
the  whole  trip.  I  thought  I  could  discover,  from  the  peculiar  con- 
struction of  his  answers,  that  the  padre  was  pi-ejudiced  against  our 
going  further  into  the  country  ;  he  did  not  speak  with  his  usual 
candor ;  and  I  concluded  to  let  the  affair  drop  here,  and  make 
further  inquiries  from  some  other  source.  The  padre  was  exceedingly 
polite  and  affable  ;  treated  us  to  little  things  to  eat,  drink,  and  smoke. 
He  told  us  of  the  midnight  mass  for  this  evening  in  the  church 
adjoining  his  house,  and  invited  us  warmly  to  call  again. 

Returning  to  our  room,  we  found  our  dinner  ready.  Potatoes  and 
eggs  had  been  procured  of  the  natives  and  boiled,  and  portions  of  our 
cold  cooked  meats,  bread,  butter  and  cheese,  &c.,  were  placed  on  the 
table,  and  we  sat  down  and  ate  one  of  the  heartiest  and  best-tasting 
dinners  we  had  had  for  years.  There  was  quite  a  little  concourse  of 
Indians  from  the  neighboring  houses  looking  in  at  the  door,  with 
much  curiosity  and  interest,  to  see  us  eat. 

The  table  being  cleared,  and  our  things  spread  on  the  floor,  we  soon 
were  stretched  out  in  two  rows,  head  to  head,  for  our  nightly  repose. 
A  half-hour  passed  in  turning  and  changing  to  tind  an  easy  position, 


DKEAMS.  153 

/ 

and  in  joking  comments  on  each  other ;  and  all  became  quiet,  except 
the  deep  breathing  of  the  sleepers.  I  felt  no  disposition  to  sleep,  and 
lay  with  my  eyes  partly  closed,  observing  the  scene.  The  Indians  con- 
tinued to  gaze  in  at  the  door,  and  two  or  three  of  them,  bolder  than 
their  companions,  gradually  worked  themselves  inside,  and  stood  look- 
ing on  us.  The  inmates  of  the  house,  as  if  led  by  curiosity,  passed 
and  repassed,  with  their  noiseless  bare  feet,  through  the  room,  to  an 
adjoining  one,  scanning  us  at  each  turn.  One  Indian  boy,  of  about 
eighteen  years,  stood  back  and  looked  in,  with  his  mouth  open,  with 
awe  and  i'ear  depicted  on  his  countenance,  as  though  we  were  a  set  of 
sleeping  giants. 

As  I  lay,  the  only  observer,  to  my  knowledge,  of  the  scene,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  a  hearty  dinner  of  ham,  eggs,  &c.,  taken  into 
the  stomach  at  so  late  an  hour  as  ten  o'clock,  was  rather  too  weighty 
an  aliment  to  rest  under,  particularly  on  a  hard  floor.  When  the  Indians 
were  gone,  I  sat  up,  and,  looking  on,  laughed  till  I  was  tired.  First 
one  and  then  another  would  heave  a  long  sigh,  groan  a  little,  turn 
over  and  screw  around,  until  they  were  in  any  position  but  the  one 
they  had  taken  at  first.  One  had  his  feet  resting  on  the  body  of 
another,  and  an  arm  thrown  back  over  the  face  of  his  next  neighbor ; 
one  had  his  feet  on  another's  pillow  ;  and  one,  suddenly  straightening 
himself  out,  brought  his  feet  forcibly  in  contact  with  another's  neck 
and  chin,  which  awoke  him,  with  the  alarm  that  they  were  being 
attacked,  and  the  Indians  choking  him.  One  groaned  out  something 
indicative  of  bodily  suffering,  and  unconsciously  rolled  himself  over 
his  next  companion,  who,  crushed  by  his  weight,  muttered  out,  loudly, 
"  0,  heavens  !  you  are  killing  me!"  Another,  soon  afterwards,  in 
a  disturbed  dream,  cried  out,  "  Clear  the  boat !  Clear  the  boat !  we 
are  sinking!  0,  for  God's  sake,  where  are  you?"  One  other,  I 
noticed,  lay  drawn  out  straight  on  his  back,  with  his  arms  extended  at 
right  angles,  representing  a  cross.  He,  probably,  was  dreaming  of 
wild  beasts  or  the  Indians,  and  ejaculated  rapidly,  "  Shoot  !  Shoot! 
There  he  is  !  "  and  some  other  similar  phrases. 

The  Indian  family,  composed  of  five  or  fix,  occupied  the  room  adjoin- 
ing, and  opening  out  of  ours.  Several  times  one  of  them  came  and 
looked  in,  glancing  his  eyes  over  us,  then  around  to  the  guns  in  the 
corner,  the  powder-horns  hanging  up,  boxes  and  other  things  around 
the  room,  with  an  anxiety  of  countenance  which  indicated  to  ine  that 
he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  regard  us. 

Between  twelve  and  one  at  night,  Mr.  A.,  who  was  not  able  to  sleep 
Linger,  and  I,  unable  to  sleep  at  all,  resolved  that  we  would  go  and 
walk  a  while.  We  went  out,  but  finding  it  so  dark,  we  could  only 
make  our  way  to  the  church,  where  there  was  an  assemblage  at  mid- 
night mass,  and  a  priest  in  his  robes  officiating.  The  church  was  lighted 
up,  and  the  altar,  images,  and  other  furniture  of  silver  and  gold,  looked 
splendid,  in  contrast  with  the  dark  walls.  We  groped  our  way  home 
in  the  dark,  not  finding  the  house  till  we  had  passed  it,  and  searched 
for  it  some  little  time,  much  to  our  discomfort  and  fear  of  some  bark- 
ing dogs.  We  found  our  companions  as  we  had  left  them,  and,  fixing 


154  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

ourselves  down  again,  were  able  to  get  some  sleep.     I  shall  continue 
the  account  of  our  trip  in  my  letter  to  S.  Yours,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   A   SISTER. 

Manilla,  Monday,  Dec.  25th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  S.  :  We  arose  early  this  morning,  and  were  glad 
to  forsake  our  hard  beds.  The  day  was  ushered  in  by  a  pouring  rain, 
which  darkened  our  prospect  of  enjoying  the  excursion,  which  we  had 
attempted  and  failed  in  yesterday.  Some  thought  we  had  better  wait 
for  the  rain  to  cease,  and  some  that  we  might  as  well  give  it  up,  and 
call  it  a  lost  day.  But  three  of  us  were  ready  to  start  at  once,  and 
make  the  most  of  it,  rain  or  no  rain  ;  when  another  came  over  to 
our  side,  and  four  were  for  going  and  two  for  remaining.  These  said 
they  would  remain,  while  we  might  go,  and  they  would  have  the  break- 
fast ready  on  our  return.  Our  necessary  comforts  being  conveyed  to 
the  prow,  we  embarked.  With  a  favorable  wind,  the  boat  skimmed 
over  the  surface  in  an  hour,  and  we  landed  without  difficulty  near  an 
Indian  fisherman's  hut  that  stood  alone ;  engaging  the  fisherman's 
service  as  guide,,  we  ascended  a  steep  hill,  clambering  over  stones, 
through  slippery  mud,  and  drawing  ourselves  up  by  the  wet  bushes 
and  branches  of  trees.  When  we  reached  the  summit,  Crocodile  Lake 
lay  before  and  below  us.  It  was  circular,  and  looked  like  an  immende 
earthen  bowl  sunk  into  the  ground,  and  two  thirds  full  of  water.  The 
banks  are  very  steep,  and  covered  with  a  thicket  of  brush  and  trues 
almost  impenetrable  to  human  steps,  which  form  a  black,  scraggly  ruffle 
entirely  around  it,  and  somewhat  into  the  water.  The  surface  of  the 
lake  appears  to  be  two  or  three  hundred  feet  below  the  top  of  the  ground, 
and  a  mile  or  two  in  diameter.  A  few  minutes'  view  of  it  leads  one 
almost  imperceptibly  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  the  crater  of  a  former 
volcano,  since  extinct,  and  afterwards  gradually  filled  with  water.  I 
wished  very  much  to  make  the  descent  to  the  water's  edge,  and  get  a 
eight  of  the  crocodiles,  large  guanas,  &c.,  with  which  it  is  said  to  be 
so  thickly  infested.  We  did  make  a  slight  attempt ;  but  the  ground 
was  slippery,  the  descent  abrupt,  the  brush  thick  and  prickly,  and  we 
thought  if  we  encountered  any  large  serpents  it  would  be  a  bad  place 
to  make  any  defence ;  for  nothing  would  be  more  disagreeable  than 
to  be  in  close  communication  with  a  serpent  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet 
long,  without  the  free  use  of  our  arms  and  feet.  With  such  considera- 
tions, we  thought  it  more  rational  to  dispense  with  it  till  we  could 
come  provided  with  hatchets  to  cut  our  way  through. 

On  the  return  descent  we  observed  many  beautiful  birds,  of  rich 
and  gaudy  plumage,  though  they  were  not  large. 

We  made  a  short  stop  at  the  Indian  fisherman's  bamboo  house. 
Underneath  it  (for  the  house  is  raised  high  enough  to  walk  under), 
confined  in  a  kind  of  basket,  we  espied  a  wild  animal,  a  little  larger 
than  our  domestic  cat,  with  one  young  one.  It  was  of  the  tiger 
species,  and  was  savage  in  its  actions,  snarling,  snapping,  and  scratch- 


IN  MAN    Ullll,.  155 

ing  at  our  sticks.  Captain  Wood  purchased  basket  and  all  for  fifty 
cents,  and  took  it  with  us. 

\Ve  now  went  on  board  our  boat  again,  to  return,  completely 
drenched  with  rain,  clothing  soiled,  pants  once  white  now  black  with 
mud,  &c.  We  fired  at  a  few  birds,  as  we  sailed  along  near  the  shore. 
They  were  so  large,  and  had  such  a  spread  of  wing,  that  it  was  nearly 
impossible  to  fire  at  them  without  hitting,  which  was  frequently  proved 
by  the  scattering  of  their  feathers.  The  crane  species,  most  abundant 
here,  have  very  long  wings,  long  legs,  necks  and  bills,  with  bodies 
slender  in  comparison.  We  were  obliged  to  put  out  into  the  lake  to 
make  the  point  from  which  we  had  embarked,  and  it  continued  to 
rain  and  blow  hard.  The  basket-work  covering  to  the  boat  proved  a 
good  shelter  from  the  sun,  but  not  from  the  rain.  We  were  seated 
crosswise  the  prow's  deck,  ranged  on  each  side,  in  alternate  positions 
of  bodies  and  feet,  so  that  each  one  had  a  pair  of  feet  and  legs  on  each 
side  of  him,  and  a  pair  of  bodies  each  side  of  his  feet..  In  this  way  we 
sat,  the  dirty  water  drizzling  on  us  as  from  a  sieve,  enduring  our  wet 
fate  with  the  fortitude  of  philosophers,  and  making  merry  of  all  our 
discomforts  until  we  reached  the  shore  again.  On  disembarking, 
washing  and  cleaning  ourselves  as  well  as  we  could,  we  joined  our 
companions,  and  partook  of  a  warm  breakfast  with  a  keen  appetite, 
after  which  we  prepared  to  leave. 

While  at  breakout,  we  were  visited  by  several  Indian  families, 
among  which  were  a  number  of  very  pretty  Indian  girls,  apparently 
ranging  from  twelve  to  twenty  years  of  age.  They  were  dressed  neatly, 
according  to  their  custom,  were  bashful  and  modest  in  their  deport- 
ment, attracted  from  curiosity  to  see  us.  One  of  them  was  quite 
pleased  with  our  friend  A.,  and  showed  herself  openly,  but  timidly, 
attached  to  him.  She  was  with  her  father  and  mother,  and  present 
a  few  minutes  last  evening  while  we  were  eating.  This  morning  she 
walked  with  Mr.  A.  down  to  the  boat,  and  seemed  considerably  dis- 
quieted when  she  saw  preparations  being  made  for  departure.  Some 
of  her  relations  came  down,  and,  after  considerable  persuasion,  induced 
her  to  go  back  with  them,  but  she  quickly  returned  alone.  Mr.  A., 
taking  her  hand,  bade  her  "  good-by,"  and  we  pushed  off.  As  the 
boat  receded,  she  walked  back  and  forth  in  such  a  troubled  manner 
that  I  expected  to  see  her  rush  to  the  boat  through  the  surf.  She  was 
the  last  one  standing  on  the  beach  and  watching  the  boat.  Mr.  A. 
occasionally  with  his  handkerchief  waved  her  an  adieu,  which  she 
answered  as  long  as  her  form,  and  her  long  black  tresses,  wildly  flying, 
could  be  distinguished.  I  told  my  friend  that  I  should  consider  myself 
fortunate  to  be  beloved  even  by  an  Indian  girl. 

Not  b^ing  able  to  persuade  others  of  the  party  to  attempt  the  jour- 
ney to  the  volcano,  we  gave  up  that  project,  at  least  for  the  present, 
and  were  making  our  way  across  an  arc  of  the  lake  to  another  Indian 
town,  where  we  stopped  fur  a  time,  surveying  the  country,  and  shoot- 
ing some  water-fowl,  which  were  very  plenty  in  this  vicinity.  The  part 
of  the  lake  that  we  had  just  crossed  was  thickly  covered  by  immense 
quantities  of  wild  ducks.  For  a  mile  or  two  each  way  the  water  was 
laterally  blackened  with  them.  As  we  gradually  approached  them 


150  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

they  rose,  forming  one  dense  circular  cloud,  extending,  in  an  inclined 
plane,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  ;  and,  as  we  advanced,  they  con- 
tinued to  rise,  circling  away  in  the  distance. 

Before  reaching  the  land  wo  held  a  short  council,  and  concluded  to 
go  in  quest  of  some  accommodations  for  the  night.  Leaving  to  servants 
to  guard  the  baggage  in  the  prow,  we  took  canoes  up  a  little  creek,  to 
another  small  town,  where  we  found  the  head  man,  the  capitan  of  the 
place.  At  his  house  we  held  another  council,  and,  after  much  discus- 
sion, concluded  to  try  to  reach  our  journey's  end  to-night,  if  practica- 
ble. The  town  we  wished  to  make  was  four  miles  further  in  tho 
country,  and  was  quite  a  large  place,  where  we  could  be  sure  of  safe 
and  comfortable  quarters.  Of  the  town  where  we  were  now  stopping 
none  of  the  party  had  any  knowledge ;  and,  from  the  manners  of  the 
people,  and  their  endeavors  to  induce  us  to  remain,  and  the  obstacles 
thrown  in  the  way  of  our  departure,  we  knew  not  but  we  were  among 
robbers.  They  represented  the  road  as  dark,  muddy,  and  'liable  to 
attack  from  thieves  ;  and  said  no  one  would  let  horses  go  at  this  hour 
of  the  evening.  But  we  had  decided  on  going,  and  the  capitan  was 
bound,  by  our  passports,  to  furnish  horses  at  our  request,  for  which 
we  must  pay  the  government  price  ;  and  we  demanded  them  on  that 
ground,  forthwith.  Meanwhile,  some  of  us  went  down  the  creek 
again,  and  had  our  things  from  the  prow  brought  up  in  the  bankers. 
The  capitan  and  his  men  were  endeavoring,  or  pretending  to  endeavor, 
to  get  the  horses ;  still  they  did  not  come.  We  were  very  impatient, 
for  it  was  dark,  and  there  was  no  moon  to  light  our  way,  and  we  were 
to  travel  unknown  roads,  in  a  strange  country.  Two  hours  passed, 
and  only  four  horses  were  brought,  which  were  standing  saddled  in 
the  yard.  We  wanted  eight,  six  for  ourselves  and  two  for  the  ser- 
vants, besides  men  to  carry  our  baggage,  and  guides,  with  their  horses. 
We  held  another  council  to  deliberate  on  the  state  of  affairs,  in  which 
the  capitan  seemed  much  interested,  looking  on  as  if  with  doubts  in  his 
own  mind  as  to  what  conclusions  our  sober  faces  were  coming  to.  The 
decision  was  to  go  with  the  four  horses,  and  to  take  turns  in  riding.  But 
on  further  consideration,  we  concluded  it  was  better  to  all  walk,  each 
expressing  himself  ready  to  go  through  fire  and  water,  robbers  or  no 
robbers.  Accordingly  our  pistols  were  freshly  loaded  and  capped,  and 
our  pants  stripped  above  our  boots ;  with  four  Indians  to  carry  our 
baggage,  and  two  guides,  fourteen  in  all,  our  little  party  marched 
forth.  We  had  not  gone  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before  we  met  an  Indian 
loaded  with  plantains;  the  poor  fellow  thought  he  was  taken,  as  we 
laid  hold  of  his  plantains,  for  we  had  not  eaten  anything  since  morn- 
ing. We  took  all  he  had,  eating  a  part,  filling  our  pockets,  and  giving 
the  rest  to  the  men  to  be  taken  along  with  us  ;  and  paid  him  well,  for 
which  he  expressed  his  entire  satisfaction.  In  talking  with  him,  he 
said  he  could  get  us  his  cart  and  buffaloes,  and  carry  us  all,  and  we 
eagerly  engaged  him.  We  returned  to  the  capitan's  and  waited  fifteen 
minutes,  the  time  the  Indian  had  allotted  as  sufficient  for  his  prepara- 
tion. An  hour  passed,  very  impatiently,  when,  on  inquiry,  we 
learned  that  the  buffaloes  were  out  in  the  pasture  and  could  not  be 
found,  and  it  wanted  but  a  few  minutes  of  ten.  We  considered  the 


EXCURSION   TO    VOLCANO.  157 

late  hour,  the  darkness,  the  bad  state  of  the  roads,  the  robbers,  &c.  ; 
and,  in  contrast,  by  remaining,  there  was  a  good  Christmas  dinner,  a 
fine  time,  and  a  quiet  night's  rest.  Mr.  A.  arose,  made  a  speech,  and 
closed  with  the  remark  that  he  "  should  go  in  for  the  dinner,  at  all 
events,  whether  we  went  or  whether  we  stayed."  There  was  no  dis- 
sension, and  the  resolution  passed  to  remain  where  we  were,  and  have 
the  Christmas  dinner.  The  capitan  seemed  as  pleased  as  any  one 
with  the  result  of  the  deliberations,  and  showed  himself  well  disposed 
towards  our  comfort. 

The  servants  set  about  the  work  at  once;  fowls,  eggs,  fruits,  &c., 
were  procured  ;  and,  with  our  own  provisions,  the  table  appeared  in 
an  hour  covered  with  dishes,  smoking  hot.  We  then  engaged  in  the 
business  of  consumption  with  true  zeal,  and  for  an  hour  heartily 
enjoyed  the  Christmas  dinner,  without  giving  a  thought  to  the  effects 
of  the  late  dinner  of  the  last  night.  Songs  were  sung,  toasts  drank, 
speeches  made,  and  a  most  lively  time  experienced,  such  as  quite  aston- 
ished our  host's  family,  which  stood  looking  in  from  the  other  part 
of  the  house. 

Between  twelve  and  one,  having  seen  that  the  Indian's  family  were 
quietly  sleeping  in  their  own  apartment,  our  blankets  were  spread  on 
the  floor,  and,  pistols  underneath  our  pillows,  we  gave  ourselves  to 
the  disposal  of  Morpheus.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

CONTINUATION    OF    EXCURSION     TO    THE     LACUNAS     AND     VOLCANO.  AR- 
RIVAL   AT    COLUMBO.  PERPLEXITY    OF    LANDING. PREPARATIONS    AND 

DEPARTURE     FOR    VOLCANO. RIDE    BY     NIGHT.  DETENTION     AT     AN 

INDIAN    HOUSE. 

Manilla,  December  2&th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  will  continue  to  yon  the  account  of  our 
excursion  to  the  volcano.  We  arose  at  five  this  morning.  All  the 
horses  we  wished  were  saddled  and  bridled,  and  stood  at  the  door 
awaiting  our  orders.  We  started  in  the  rain,  leaving  one  servant  to 
take  care  of  the  baggage,  which  was  to  be  transported  in  a  buffalo- 
cart.  On  account  of  the  rain,  our  small,  raw-boned,  narrow-con- 
tracted ponies  were  urged  to  their  full  speed  ;  and,  splashing  through 
the  mud,  we  passed  the  four  miles  very  quickly.  Such  a  number  of 
us  entering  the  town  together  made  the  inhabitants  stare  as  if  Ihey 
thought  we  were  about  to  take  the  place.  The  capitan  received  ua 
very  cordially,  gave  us  some  breakfast,  and  accompanied  us  to  the 
cotton  factory  and  other  places  of  interest.  This  is  the  only  cotton 
14 


158  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

factory  in  the  country.  Mr.  A.  and  I  did  not  •wish  to  examine  it,  as 
we  could  s:ie  these  things  at  home  ;  and,  passing  hastily  through  the 
building,  now  not  in  operation,  we  took  our  guns  and  started  lor  the 
mountain,  in  quest  of  adventure.  We  travelled  through  the  forest, 
among  the  largest  and  grandest  trees  I  ever  saw, —  trees  of  dense, 
thick  foliage,  and  towering  up  to  an  immense  height  very  beautifully. 
Our  elms  at  home,  with  a  maple  bark,  carried  up  a  number  of  times 
their  length,  might  resemble  them.  We  passed  many  places  whore 
the  earth  had  been  freshly  rooted  up  by  the  wild  boars  and'  hogs. 
Our  guide  says  that  these  animals  are  very  numerous,  but  we  did  not 
see  any.  We  saw  a  few  beautiful  birds,  and  a  flock  of  six,  each  of 
which  was  about  the  size  of  an  eagle.  Monkeys,  our  guide  informed 
us,  are  plenty  here  ;  but,  as  it  was  raining  very  hard,  they  probably 
had  sought  a  place  of  shelter,  for  we  saw  none.  As  usual,  I  kept  my 
eyes  wide  open  for  the  snakes,  looking  above,  below,  and  all  around, 
as  we  advanced.  Once  I  stepped  unconsciously  on  a  large  branch, 
which,  starting  up  at  the  other  end,  set  me,  my  hair  rising,  into  two 
or  three  leaps,  when  I  turned  and  put  myself  into  an  attitude  of 
defence,  and  perceived  the  cause  of  my  fears.  My  mind  was  so  on 
them  that  I  fully  expscted  to  encounter  some  of  their  snakeslups,  and 
I  kicked  the  dark  branch  about  some  few  minutes,  not  satisfied  with 
being  frightened  without  finding  a  cause.  I  quieted  my  mii.d  by  say- 
ing 1  would  rather  meet  one  of  these  reptiles  than  to  be  so  falsely 
startled  by  sticks.  Being  wet  and  muddy,  we  did  not  long  continue 
our  pedestrian  tour,  and  turned  homeward.  On  our  way  the  guide 
climbed  the  trees  and  threw  down  a  few  green  cocoa-nuts,  the  ends 
of  which  being  sliced  off,  we  drank  the  sweet  milk,  which  was  quite 
palatable,  and  quenching  to  our  thirst.  We  also  discovered  a  number 
of  cinnamon-trees,  l>eing  attracted  to  them  by  the  aromatic  fragrance 
of  their  foliage.  We  eat  the  green  bark  of  the  tender  branches,  and 
gathered  some  of  the  leaves  to  bring  away.  In  passing  a  large  field 
of  sugar-cane,  we  saw  fly  out  flocks  of  small  birds  of  extremely  beauti- 
ful plumage,  which  had  there  taken  shelter  from  the  rain.  \Ve 
broke  off  and  chewed  some  of  the  stalks  of  the  sweet  cane,  which 
seemed  much  like  the  sweet  juice  of  our  corn-stalks.  The  natives  are 
very  fond  of  it. 

At  our  host's  house  we  met  two  gentlemen  who  also  had  left 
Manilla  for  an  excursion.  They  had  once  visited  the  volcano,  and  I 
had  a  long  talk  with  them  about  it,  to  judge  for  myself  of  the  expedi- 
ency of  making  a  trip  there.  The  gentlemen  represented  a  tour  there 
as  possible,  but  not  unattended  with  difficulties,  which,  of  course,  we 
were  prepared  to  expect. 

After  dinner,  while  writing  my  few  pencil-notes,  I  resolved  on 
going  to  the  volcano,  even  if  I  had  to  separate  from  the  party  and 
go  alone.  As  I  made  my  intention  known,  Mr.  N.  said  that  he 
wushed  much  to  go,  if  it  could  be  arranged.  Mr.  A.  would  like  to 
go,  but  feared  that  his  infirmities  would  not  admit  of  it,  as  our  journey 
would  be  mostly  on  horseback.  Captain  W.  would  be  pleased  to 
join,  but  such  a  journey  on  horseback  would  completely  upset  him,  if 
he  did  not  get  upet  from  his  horse.  Mr.  M.  and  Mr.  T.,  of  the 


ARRIVAL    AT   COLUMBO.  159 

company,  were  in  favor  of  going,  were  they  not  sura  that  the  expedition 
Would  take  ;i  number  of  days  ;  but  they  must  b.j  back  at  Manilla  at  a 
certain  time,  to  attend  to  some  affairs  of  business.  But  we  could  not 
come  to  any  united  decision,  although  with  me  it  was  decided.  We 
returned  to  the  prow  together,  where  we  again  discussed  the  subject. 
Mr.  A.  declared  that  lie  would  make  the  attempt;  Mr.  N.  was  quits 
enthusiastic  for  the  project,  and  ready  to  facilitate  the  preparations 
with  all  speed.  I  was  fearful  that  the  ride  back  to  the  lake,  on  such 
hard-trotting,  short-necked,  and  short-legged  ponies,  would  disable 
me,  like  my  friend  A.,  from  carrying  out  our  intentions.  I  was 
sorely  harassed,  but  kept  my  ails  to  myself.  Several  times  my  stir- 
rups gave  way,  nearly  precipitating  me  to  the  ground.  It  was  well 
understood  now  that  three  of  us  were  going  to  the  volcano,  while  the 
other  three  remaining  were  to  amuse  themselves  by  hunting  and 
fishing  about  the  lake,  &c.  It  was  near  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon when  we  reached  the  prow,  and  things  progressed  so  slowly  that 
I  assumed  dictatorial  power,  and  scolded  the  servants,  setting  them  to 
res! lip  the  baggage,  by  taking  hold  myself  and  hastening  their  move- 
ments for  getting  the  prow  off. 

In  half  an  hour  I  was  relieved,  as  well  as  rejoiced,  to  know  that  we 
were  on  the  way  to  Columbo,  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  which 
was  to  be  our  starting-point. 

On  our  arrival  at  Columbo,  Messrs.  N.  and  T.  jumped  ashore  and 
left  for  the  capitan's,  to  procure  horses  and  make  the  necessary  prepa- 
rations, while  myself  and  the  others  remained  by  the  boat.  It  soon 
became  very  dark,  and,  tired  of  waiting  for  them  to  return,  we  had 
our  things  taken  to  an  Indian  housa  at  some  little  distance  from  the 
shore.  This  was  not  a  little  perplexing,  as  we  knew  nothing  of  the 
disposition  or  character  of  the  people,  and  every  movable  article  had 
to  be  removed  from  the  prow  to  secure  its  safety. 

The  Indians  were  very  ready  to  assist,  and  so  much  so  that  we 
feared  they  would  make  off  witli  something.  One  of  us  stood  with  a 
flaming  torch  at  the  boat,  to  see  that  the  tilings  were  properly  taken 
away.  Others  followed  the  carriers  with  torches  up  to  the  Indian 
house,  and  saw  them  deposited  in  our  room  It  was  a  passing  and 
repassing  of  flaring  torches  in  the  rain  and  impenetrable  darkness. 
The  wind  would  blow  our  torches  out,  and  we  lose  our  way,  getting 
into  some  place,  we  did  not  know  where,  and  only  knowing  the 
direction  f>y  some  torch  freshly  lighted.  Once  I  was  hastening  back 
to  the  boat  in  almost  a  contrary  direction,  when,  finding  so  many 
obstacles  in  the  way,  I  turned  towards  a  torch,  and,  coming  up  to  it, 
saw  an  Indian  carrying  some  of  our  baggage.  I  followed,  unknown 
to  him,  to  a  house,  when  I  found,  much  to  my  surprise,  that  it  was 
the  same  which  contained  the  rest  of  our  goods,  and  the  one  I  had 
a  little  before  left. 

With  all  the  anxiety  for  our  baggage  and  ourselves,  it  was  with 
pleasure  that  we  assembled  in  the  room  of  the  Indian  house,  and  found 
no  articles  missing.  Mr.  T.  returned  without  Mr.  N.  He  s.vid  he 
had,  iu  the  extreme  darkness,  lost  sight  of  him,  could  find  nothing  of 


160  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

him  ;  and,  retracing  his  steps  for  a  time,  finally  procured  an  Indian 
to  show  him  the  way  hack. 

Vie  found  the  house  we  were  in  to  be  that  of  a  Teni-en-te,  a  kind 
of  sub-official  to  the  capitan.  It  was  built  of  bamboo,  like  all  the 
Indian  houses,  and  set  high  from  the  ground  on  posts.  When  we 
ascended  the  steps  to  our  room  it  seemed  like  being  in  a  chamber. 
The  floor,  of  braided  bamboo,  bent  and  crackled  under  our  steps  as 
we  passed  over  it.  The  provisions  that  we  required  were  readily 
obtained,  dinner  was  prepared,  and,  after  waiting  some  time  for  Mr. 
N.,  we  sat  down  without  him.  We  finished  dinner,  played  a  game 
of  whist,  and  still  he  did  not  come.  Nine  o'clock  came,  and,  as  we 
were  consulting  about  sending  the  Teni-en-te  in  search  of  him,  he 
entered  the  room,  and,  much  to  our  satisfaction,  made  his  explanation. 
He  had  found,  with  much  difficulty,  the  capitan's  house,  at  another 
village,  after  a  walk  of  two  miles,  and  made  known  his  wishes.  The 
capitan  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  the  project,  particularly  in 
so  dark  a  night.  He  told  him  that  there  was  a  gang  of  forty  or  fifty 
robbers  somewhere  on  the  way;  that  this  afternoon  he  had  received 
news  that  a  party  of  Englishmen  had  been  attacked  last  night  by 
them  ;  that  there  was  a  large  forest  to  pass  through  ;  and  that,  on 
account  of  the  darkness,  the  bad  roads,  deep  with  mud,  it  would  be 
almost  impassable.  He  thought  it  doubtful  if  he  could  find  horses 
and  men  to-night  willing  to  go  ;  and,  moreover,  he  was  unwilling 
himself  to  take  the  responsibility  of  forwarding  us  at  such  a  time. 
After  this  account  there  was  a  silence  of  several  minutes,  in  which  no 
one  spoke ;  and  then  the  others  strongly  advised  us  not  to  think  of 

foing.  It  was  certainly  rather  cooling  to  our  ardor  ;  but  Mr.  N.  had 
rought  the  secretary  of  the  capitan,  who  was  to  carry  our  decision 
back,  and,  if  we  concluded  to  go,  the  capitan  would  make  the  best 
disposition  he  could.  We  were  not  long  in  considering  ;  each  again 
expressed  himself  ready  to  go  through  fire  and  water ;  and  our  enthu- 
siasm ran  to  such  a  pitch  that  the  Teni-en-te  caught  it,  and  desired 
to  go  through  fire  and  water  with  us.  Nothing  could  suit  us  better, 
and  the  messenger-secretary  departed  with  his  message  to  the  capitan. 
The  business  of  our  companions,  who  were  to  be  left  behind,  would 
not  admit  of  their  remaining  longer  than  the  day  after  to-morrow  ; 
and  we  arranged  with  them,  if  we  were  not  back  at  that  time  (on 
Thursday,  at  noon),  they  could  go  without  us.  That  would  give  us 
for  the  adventure  a  day  and  a  half.  The  distance  there  being  thirty 
miles,  the  sooner  we  were  off  the  better.  Putting  our  things  together, 
and  buckling  on  our  freshly-loaded  pistols,  we  took  a  parting  glass  of 
wine  together,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  the  capitan's.  The  Teni-en-te, 
with  a  servant  carrying  a  lantern,  led  the  way ;  Mr.  Napper,  Mr. 
Alexander  and  myself,  followed,  with  the  servants  and  baggage-car- 
riers. Each  of  us  had  an  arm-full  of  blankets,  saddles,  bridles,  or 
something  else,  notwithstanding  which  we  trudged  over  the  two  miles 
at  a  rapid  pace. 

At  the  capitan's  house  we  found  the  preparations  progressing  ;  but 
we  had  to  wait  their  completion,  and  the  capitan  took  the  opportunity 


RIDE   EY   IflGOT.  161 

occasionally  to  endeavor  to  persuade  us  to  remain  there  all  night,  and 
start  in  the  morning.  Each  time  of  which  he  was  answered  with, 

'•  Our  determination  is  fixed  to  go  to-night." 

About  fifteen  Indians  collected  around,  and  seemed  to  be  much 
interested  in  us.  I  believe  they  had  the  impression  that  we  were  going 
in  pursuit  of  the  robbers  who  made  the  attack  on  the  English  party 
last  night.  The  Indians  took  out  their  long  knives,  proposing  that  we 
should  take  them,  nourishing  them  in  their  hands,  s.iying,  "  That  is  tho 
way  they  should  be  used."  We  took  them,  fastening  them  upon  our 
persons,  and  promised  to  leave  them  on  our  return. 

At  length,  it  being  near  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  the  capitan 
informed  us  that  all  was  ready,  and,  mounting  our  small,  raw-boned 
ponies,  we  sallied  out  of  the  yard.  The  moment  we  were  outside, 
everything  was  of  one  color.  We  could  not  distinguish  the  road, 
houses,  fences,  nor  each  other's  horses  ;  all  was  one  black  mass  above, 
below  and  around,  and  nothing  but  the  lights  at  the  Indian  houses 
was  to  be  seen.  Two  Indian  policemen,  armed  to  the  teeth,  acted  as 
guides  and  guards. — one  g-jing  ahead,  and  the  other  behind  us, — 
eight  persons  in  all.  I  involuntarily  put  up  my  hand  to  clear  my 
eyes,  as  though  they  had  been  blindfolded.  My  horse  was  mining, 
but  in  what  direction  I  could  not  tell,  and  1  believed  no  one  else  could. 
1  cried  out  for  a  halt  till  we  could  get  our  lanterns  ;  but  the  guides  said 
that  would  not  do,  as  it  would  direct  the  robbers  to  us.  "  0,  well,"  said 
I,  "  let  us  g:t  together  and  go  ahead."  The  sound  of  our  voices  waa 
enough  lor  that,  and  on  we  went.  It  seemed  as  if  we  were  going 
through  a  boundless  black  waste,  without  roads.  I  fancied  every 
moment  my  horse  was  about  to  run  against  something ;  and  as  to 
guiding  him,  that  was  out  of  the  question  ;  for,  if  he  could  see,  it  was 
more  than  I  could  do.  I  could  tell  when  he  was  going  up  hill  and 
down,  and  that  was  all.  Had  any  one  proposed  it,  I  believe  I  should 
have  been  willing  to  turn  about,  and  wait  till  morning  ;  but  nothing 
was  said  about  it,  and  I  would  not  propose  it  myself.  I  thought  that 
at  the  end  of  half  an  hour  we  should  be  able  to  see  better ;  but  ifc 
made  no  perceptible  difference.  We  were  often  obliged  to  call  out  to 
those  in  front  to  know  if  we  were  following.  The  sound  of  the  horses' 
footsteps  was  some  direction  ;  but  that  was  often  lost  in  the  soft  mud. 
Once  I  heard  Mr.  Napper's  voice,  as  if  in  the  distance, — 

"  Doctor,  doctor  !  we  are  in  the  woods  now." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  said  I. 

"  The  Teni-cn-te  says  so." 

"0,  very  well ;  I  'in  glad  if  he  can  see  them." 

Mr.  N.,  who  was  ahead  of  me,  had  on  a  white  coat,  and  I  had  a 
white  handkerchief  fastened  under  my  cap,  and  hanging  down  my 
back,  as  a  distinguishing  object  to  Mr.  A.,  who  was  behind  me  ;  but  if 
\ve  became  separated  ten  feet,  the  white  waa  no  longer  visible.  At 
times  Mr.  A.  would  cry  out  to  me, 

"  I  say,  doctor,  where  are  you?  Hold  on  a  little  ;  I  don't  know 
where  I  am." 

When  I  was  obliged  to  call  out  to  Mr.  N.  to  stop,  or  I  should  have 
loat  biiu  ;  and  he,  in  turn,  had  to  call  to  those  ahead  of  him.  Some- 
14* 


162  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

times  the  horses  would  come  to  a  pause,  and  then  slide  down  some 
steep  place,  causing  us  to  fear  lest  we  should  land,  horse  and  all,  at 
the  bottom  of  some  hank  or  precipice.  Again,  we  were  ascending 
some  difficult  place,  for  the  horse  came  down  on  his  knees,  as  his  feet 
slipped.  Then  we  seemed  to  he  on  some  narrow  ridge,  the  animals' 
feet  slipping  and  gathering  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other  ;  and 
which  way  to  lean,  or  which  way  to  jump  if  the  step  were  lost,  could 
not  be  known.  It  was  necessary  to  poise  one's  self  easily  and  freely, 
without  stiffness  or  restraint,  holding  by  the  knees  only,  and  allowing 
the  body  to  sway  to  and  fro,  adjusting  itself  to  the  motions  of  the 
horse.  Twice  I  found  myself  moving  very  slowly  in  among  branches 
of  trees  and  shrubs,  which  were  brushing  on  all  sides.  I  asked  of  iny 
friend  behind  if  he  knew  where  we  were  ;  but,  receiving  no  answer,  I 
stopped  and  listened,  and  could  just  make  out  footsteps  far  below  me. 
I  now  quickly  called  out, 

"  Hulloa !  " 

But  there  was  no  answer,  and  I  repeated,  at  the  top  of  my  voice, 

"  Hulloa,  there  !  " 

At  some  distance  the  answer  came  back, — 

"  Hulloa  !  come  on." 

"  Come  on  !  "  said  I ;  "I  am  lost,  and  in  the  woods  somewhere  ; 
send  the  guide  back." 

I  soon  heard  the  voice  of  the  guide  approaching,  calling  out  at 
intervals,  and  directing  himself  by  my  responses.  I  had  to  laugh, 
perplexing  as  it  was,  to  hear,  every  five  seconds,  his  "  Urngh,"  inquir- 
ing (where  are  you),  and  mine  following  immediately  after,  "  Urngh  " 
(here).  Having  pushed  himself  through  the  brush,  he  took  the  horse 
by  the  head,  and  led  him  down  a  deep  descent,  and  brought  us 
together  again.  It  seemed  like  a  charm  to  hear  each  other's  voices 
once  m»»re  in  concert,  and  to  be  able  to  distinguish  each  other's  forms, 
though  only  dark  shadows.  Here  we  missed  one  of  our  armed  Indians, 
who  went  behind.  What  became  of  him  no  one  of  us  could  divine. 

We  travelled  at  a  slow  pace,  walking,  except  when  the  horse 
was  obliged  to  make  three  or  four  rapid  steps  in  stumbling  over  some 
log,  stump  or  stone,  or  clambering  up  an  abrupt  ascent.  I  often 
thought  what  would  I  give  to  be  able  to  see,  for  once,  what  kind  of  a 
road  this  really  is,  if,  indeed,  there  is  any  road  at  all.  What  singular 
sensations  I  experienced  this  night  in  this  strange  country,  passing 
through  wild  forests,  our  ears,  now  and  then,  assailed  by  the  distant 
wail  of  some  wild  animal,  with  thoughts*that  he  might  suddenly  honor 
us  with  his  presence  ;  and  then  in  narrow  defiles,  the  walls  of  which, 
in  places,  were  so  near  as  to  knock  our  legs  on  both  sides ;  and  the 
knowing  that  there  was  a  gang  of  robbers,  whose  visit  would  in  no 
way  surprise  us!  Did  I  not  think  of  old  Boston,  and  Northboro,  and 
all  my  friends  at  home  ?  Did  I  not  think  of  my  aged  father  and 
mother,  —  of  him  in  the  depths  of  winter,  although  perpetual  summer 
here,  in  his  daily  round  of  administering  to  the  sick  ;  and  of  her  at  the 
old  homestead,  who,  with  her  usual  care  and  watchfulness  for  her 
children,  might  at  the  same  moment  be  exchanging  thoughts  with  the 
one  absent,  though  she  could  not  know  where !  But  a  long  time  was 


AN    INDIAN    SLEEPING    GROUP.  163 

not  allowed  for  musing ;  attention  to  the  horse  by  his  sudden  motions 
was  required,  which  would  break  up  the  connection  of  thoughts  every 
few  minutes. 

After  a  couple  of  hours,  we  were  able  to  distinguish  the  outline  of 
the  forests,  marked  on  the  lighter  sky  on  each  side  of  us,  like  the 
banks  of  a  deep  trench,  filled  with  solid  blackness,  in  which  we  were 
moving. 

Wednesday,  December  27th.  —  At  about  three  o'clock  this  morning 
we  came  out  of  the  forest  on  to  a  rise  of  ground,  where,  for  the  first 
time  since  starting,  we  could  see  anything.  Directly  before  us  were  a 
few  Indian  houses,  and  we  were  all  very  glad  to  halt ;  for  it  was  much 
more  fatiguing  to  ride  in  the  dark  than  in  the  light.  We  were  con- 
ducted to  a  bamboo  house,  which  contained  but  one  room,  on  the  floor 
of  which  lay  the  inmates,  —  about  a  dozen  black  men,  women  and 
children.  They  had  curly  hair,  and  their  dark  faces,  protruding  from 
their  blankets,  were  more  like  negroes  than  Indians.  I  did  not  fancy 
them,  and  would  have  preferred  to  change  our  quarters  ;  but,  while  I 
was  looking  at  them,  my  companions  and  guide  were  already  down 
among  them,  and  there  was  no  alternative  left  for  me  but  to  occupy 
the  most  vacant  place,  and  make  one  with  the  household.  I  took 
Another  survey  of  the  cut-throat-looking  people  as  they  lay  sti-etched 
out  in  disorder,  and,  wrapping  around  me  the  blanket  which  I  had 
brought,  I  joined  the  prostrate  company.  When  we  first  entered, 
three  or  four  of  them,  awaking,  raised  themselves  into  a  sitting  posture, 
scrutinizing  us  with  surprise.  To  do  them  credit,  one  of  their  number 
—  a  woman  —  pushed  towards  me  the  end  of  her  bolster,  or  pillow, 
for  my  head,  which  civility  I  did  not  expect  from  such  people.  I 
accepted  it,  that  I  might  be  able  to  see  around  without  raising  my 
head  ;  and,  taking  out  my  pistols  in  her  sight,  I  replaced  them  within 
the  folds  of  my  coat  on  my  breast,  and  lay  quietly  down  again.  I  tried 
to  sleep,  for  I  was  very  tired,  and  needed  it ;  but  it  was  of  no  use.  I 
could  close  my  eyes,  but,  on  the  occurrence  of  any  movement  or  slight 
noise,  I  was  sure  to  open  them,  and  take  a  glance  around. 

Yours,  &c., 
B.  L.  B. 

Manilla,  December  '2Tlh. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  At  half-past  four,  after  an  hour  and  a  half  of  rest, 
from  which  I  derived  very  little  benefit,  our  guides  aroused  us.  Mount- 
ing our  horses,  we  were  again  on  our  route,  under  more  pleasant  cir- 
cumstances than  the  preceding  night.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  we  were 
enabled,  by  the  dawn  of  day,  to  observe  how  we  looked  together  on 
horseback,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  we  presented  a  rather 
forbidding  appearance  to  any  Indians  who  might  wish  to  attack  us. 
The  two  guides  looked  more  formidable  than  any  of  us.  They  had, 
instead  of  caps  on  their  heads,  a  kind  of  shield,  made  of  hard  wood  and 
leather,  which,  in  case  of  need,  they  could  take  off  and  use  as  a  protec- 
tion against  spears  and  other  missiles.  They  had  a  pistol  on  each  side 
of  their  saddles,  and  the  handle  of  a  long  knife  projecting  from  their 
belts  behind.  We  found  that  our  saddles  were  made  of  wood.  The 


164  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

stirrups,  also,  were  chiselled  out  of  a  solid  piece  of  wood,  and  were  so 
small  that  only  the  toe  of  the  boot  would  catch  in.  It  was  necessary 
to  keep  a  continual  strain  on  the  feet  to  retain  them  in  their  places. 
The  bridles  had  but  one  rein,  and  that  was  a  rope  fastened  to  one  side 
of  the  bits.  Thus  far  there  had  been  no  occasion  for  reins,  for  the 
horses  would  pick  out  their  way  much  better  without  any  interference 
on  our  part,  except  from  the  use  of  a  stick. 

We  could  now  see  the  road,  which  here  was  pretty  good.  I  looked 
back,  trying  to  discover  in  what  kind  of  a  place  we  had  spent  the  night : 
but  the  uneven  state  of  the  country  prevented  me  from  making  out 
any  trace  of  it.  We  now  urged  our  horses  at  a  smart  pace,  the  road 
being  muddy,  but  not  difficult,  often  leaving  our  guides  a  mile  behind. 
It  required  some  practice  to  know  how  to  manage  horses  with  one 
rein  ;  but  we  soon  learned  the  art,  and  could  whirl  them  round,  and 
perform  the  various  evolutions,  with  one  rein  as  well  as  with  two. 
The  Indians  teach  them  to  go  with  one  rein,  or  with  none  ;  and  I  fre- 
quently saw  them  riding  at  full  speed,  and  guiding  their  horses  by  the 
hand  on  the  neck  only. 

Our  next  stopping-place  was  at  the  capitan's  of  the  next  pueblo, 
about  sixteen  miles  from  Columbo.  He  provided  us  with  chocolate 
and  eggs,  and  a  change  of  horses,  detaining  us  more  than  an  hour.  I 
thought  the  animal  I  rode  had  some  very  singular  actions,  and,  on 
examination,  found  him  blind  of  one  eye.  I  could  not  before  account 
for  his  stumbling  more  than  the  other  horses,  but  this  explained  it. 

The  moment  that  our  animals  were  ready,  taking  care  this  time  to 
get  one  that  could  see  with  both  eyes,  we  settled  for  our  guides  and 
horses  with  the  Capitan  de  Sillia,  as  he  is  called,  and  were  again  on 
our  way. 

The  price  of  horses  and  guides  from  one  village  or  town  to  another, 
a  distance  of  four  or  five  miles,  is  twenty-five  cents  apiece.  This  is 
regulated  by  the  Spanish  government ;  and  travellers,  having  passports, 
can  demand  horses  and  guards  at  any  time  from  the  capitans,  who  are 
obliged  to  furnish  them  without  delay,  receiving  for  them  the  regular 
fee. 

The  capitans  are  chiefs  of  the  towns,  and  are  native  Indians. 
They  live  in  houses  built  after  the  Indian  style,  constructed  of  bam- 
boo and  cane,  and  raised  on  posts  from  four  to  seven  feet  from  the 
ground.  Beneath,  usually,  one  can  walk  or  fasten  his  horse,  or  the 
room  may  be  used  for  many  other  convenient  purposes.  No  nails  or 
pins  of  wood  are  used  in  building,  but  all  is  fastened  with  straps  of 
cane,  or  rattan,  wound  around  the  joints.  The  floors  are  laid  on 
bamboo  joists,  strips  of  bamboo  being  interwoven  crosswise,  so  that 
from  below  upwards  through  the  whole  extent  there  is  a  good  circula- 
tion of  air.  The  roof  is  of  similar  construction,  and  thatched  with 
leaves  of  the  betel-nut  and  plantain-trees.  The  windows  are  blinds 
made  of  cane,  braided  like  basket-work,  and  fastened  under  the  roof, 
or  made  to  slide.  Glass  for  windows  is  never  used  on  the  inland.  The 
stairs  are  after  the  principle  of  the  ladder,  with  rounds  of  bamboo  ; 
sometimes  two  or  three  rounds  are  placed  together,  which  facilitates 


EIDE   TO   TAAL    LAKE.  165 

going  up  and  down,  and  makes  them  more  like  stairs.  These  dwell- 
ings are  very  neat,  both  inside  and  out. 

For  the  next  few  miles,  after  our  change  of  horses,  we  had  a 
delightful  ride,  though  the  sun  beat  down  with  considerable  power. 
We  galloped  pretty  fast,  so  that  I  had  not  much  time  to  observe  any- 
thing. My  eyes  wore  generally  ahead,  to  see  what  view  would  open 
on  us  next,  so  new  and  strange  did  everything  about  us  appear.  We 
had  glimpses  of  rare  birds,  various  kinds  of  trees,  thick  shrubbery, 
vinos,  and  many  pretty  flowers.  There  were  some  beautiful  palms  ;  but 
the  prettiest  tree  of  all  was  the  betel-nut.  This  looks,  to  the  length  of 
thirty  or  forty  feet,  as  if  it  had  been  turned  out  by  machinery  and 
polished,  and  then  surmounted  with  a  tuft  of  green  leaves,  under 
which  the  betel-nuts  were  growing  in  clusters.  We  rode  faster  than 
our  guides,  and  arrived  at  a  river,  at  the  end  of  the  road,  as  it  seemed. 
We  galloped  in  various  directions,  hoping  to  attain  the  road  again  ; 
but  did  not  find  it,  and  we  were  obliged  to  wait  for  our  guides  to  come 
up.  They  soon  arrived,  and,  beckoning  to  us,  much  to  our  surprise, 
plunged  into  the  river,  and  we  plunged  in  after  them.  The  ponies 
were  good  swimmers,  taking  us  safely  across,  and  up  the  opposite 
bank,  when,  winding  round  a  large  rock,  we  entered  the  road  again. 

Five  or  ten  minutes  brought  us  into  another  Indian  town,  and  to 
the  capitan's  house.  We  promptly  gave  directions  for  fresh  horses 
and  guides  to  be  made  ready,  and  took  some  refreshment,  —  filling 
our  pockets  with  dry  cake,  which  we  bought.  We  met  here  a  gentle- 
man from  Manilla,  who  was  alone,  and  bound  on  the  same  excursion 
as  ourselves.  He  desired  us  to  wait  an  hour,  and  go  on  with  him  ; 
but  we  wished  to  be  back  to  join  our  companions  at  the  prow,  and 
could  make  no  delay.  The  capitan  examined  our  passports  with  great 
importance,  stating  that  we  had  already  transgressed  our  limits,  as  we 
were  beyond  the  province  assigned  to  us,  and  that  if  he  acted  in 
accordance  with  his  official  duties,  he  should  have  us  arrested,  and  con- 
ducted by  a  guard  of  soldiers  to  the  provincial  jail,  to  await  orders 
from  the  government  at  Manilla.  The  capitan  of  another  town  was 
present,  and  Mr.  N.  entered  into  conversation,  and  soon  made  friends 
with  both  of  them.  We  remained  conversing  with  them  for  some 
time,  treating  them  to  some  of  our  choice  stores,  and  the  capitan  gave 
his  consent  for  us  to  proceed.  Before  we  left  they  embraced  us  over 
and  over,  shook  hands  with  us,  swore  eternal  friendship,  promised  us 
their  assistance,  if  required,  in  whatever  part  of  the  island  we  might 
happen  to  be,  and  suffered  us  to  proceed  on  our  journey  without 
further  question. 

We  soon  found  ourselves  galloping,  at  full  speed,  on  a  fine  road, 
making  direct  for  "  Taal  Lake,"  in  which  the  volcano  is  situated.  A 
lew  miles  on,  and  the  road  began  to  decrease  in  width,  and  we  soon 
entered  one  so  narrow  that  we  could  only  pass  in  single  file.  Our 
path  wound  about  in  every  direction,  up  hill  and  down,  in  many 
places  so  steep  that  the  horses  would  slip,  —  sometimes  forward  up  hill, 
and  then  backward  down  hill,  — and  had  we  been  without  a  guide,  I 
should  have  sought  some  other  and  safer  path.  I  had  constantly  to 
be  on  my  guard,  as  the  pony  stumbled  over  stones  and  uneven  places, 


166  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

though  I  was  sure  he  could  see  with  both  eyes,  —  as  proof  of  which 
he  would  shy  from  imaginary  objects  on  either  side  of  the  way. 
The  occasional  breaking  of  our  stirrup-straps,  made  of  brittle,  sunburnt 
leather,  was  another  source  of  uneasiness,  especially  when  riding  at 
full  speed,  which  required  considerable  dexterity  to  prevent  being 
thrown,  and  left  on  the  ground  behind. 

The  almost  scorching  heat  of  the  sun  reminded  me  of  its  enlivening 
effjcts  on  serpents  in  tropical  climates  ;  and  my  eyes  searched  every 
side  among  the  limbs  and  branches,  and  particularly  those  law  over 
head.  I  once  imagined  I  saw  one  at  some  distance  ahead,  stretched 
across  several  limbs  ;  but,  in  our  turnings,  I  lost  sight  of  it,  and  when 
we  came  there  it  had  disappeared.  No  animals  of  any  kind  showed 
themselves,  except  parrots,  and  several  varieties  of  small  birds  of  most 
beautiful  colors.  The  parrots  were  of  a  pure  white,  and  flew  from 
tree  to  tree  like  pigeons.  Yours,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

DISTANT  VIEW  OF  THE  VOLCANO. TAAL   LAKE. ASCENT   OF   THE 

MOUNTAIN. CHARACTER  OF  THE  VOLCANO. VIEW  FROM  THE  EDGE 

OF  CRATER,  ETC. 

Manilla,  December. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  As  we  neared  Taal  Lake,  from  an  elevated  spot  we 
caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  volcano  of  Taal,  as  it  is  called.  Enrap- 
tured with  the  first  sight  of  such  a  natural  curiosity,  we  all  simul- 
taneously stopped  and  gazed  on  it.  For  some  moments  no  one  spoke, 
and  then  each  one  gave  vent  to  his  feelings  of  admiration. 

"  Is  it  not  grand!  " 

"  How  proud,  how  stately,  it  looks  !  " 

"  How  majestic  it  stands  alone,  enjoying  its  own  glory,  unconscioua 
of  anything  else,  as  if  it  was  the  whole  world  itself!  " 

"  With  what  power,  and  yet  with  Avhat  ease,  does  it  pour  forth,  to 
the  skies,  its  inassive-like  clouds  of  incense  !  " 

In  the  distance  appeared  a  low,  conical-shaped  mountain,  glistening 
as  if  of  white  sand.  Its  uncouthly-formed  summit  showed  numerous 
ragged,  angular,  half-rounded,  perpendicular  points,  standing  against 
the  back-ground  of  the  deep  blue  sky  beyond.  From  its  centre  shot 
upward  a  spiral  column  of  dark-colored  smoke,  like  a  spiral  shell  stand- 
ing on  its  apex ;  and  from  its  inverted  base  rolled  off,  horizontally, 
immense  curling  and  twisting  bodies  of  dense  white  vapor,  spreading 
out  into  a  broad  mass,  mingling  and  gradually  disappearing  in  the  clear 
atmosphere.  And  encircling  its  foot  lay  the  quiet  water  of  the  lake, 
stretching  out  like  a  dazzling  mirror,  its  broken  and  scolloped  edges 


VOLCANO   OP    TAAL.  167 

bordered  with  a  fringe  of  dark  green  trees.  My  emotions  refused  to 
form  themselves  into  words  ;  and  the  starting  of  my  horse,  as  he  sped 
aftjr  his  companions,  which  were  disappearing  down  the  opposite  side 
of  the  hill,  broke  in  upon  my  thoughts,  and  buried  them  still  deeper 
within  my  own  breast. 

In  half  an  hour  we  were  at  the  lake,  —  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water, 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  across.  Our  horsos  had  hardly  stopped 
before  we  swung  from  their  backs,  and  gladly  touched  the  earth  again  ; 
for  we  were  jolted,  lamed,  heated,  and  fatigued.  In  exercising  to 
recover  the  use  of  our  limbs,  we  cut  most  ludicrous  figures.  Age 
seemed  to  have  crept  on  us  since  we  commenced  the  excursion  ;  our 
steps  wore  like  men  of  ninety,  and  each  laughed  heartily  at  the  others, 
though  each  felt  himself  to  be  no  laughable  subject. 

We  had  passed  several  Indian  houses  a  little  way  back,  and  the 
Indians  followed  to  provide  us  with  canoes.  Our  horses  being  secured, 
we  stepped  into  a  canoe,  and  two  Indians  plied  their  short  paddles. 
Opportunity  was  now  aflbrded  for  refreshing  ourselves  from  our  store 
of  drinkables  and  eatables  ;  and  never  did  water,  mingled  with  a  little 
wine,  though  thoroughly  warmed  by  the  sun,  taste  better.  We  felt 
invigorated  anew,  and  were  ready  for  other  hardships.  The  water  we 
kept  in  a  holl  >w  piece  of  bamboo,  about  five  feet  long  and  four  or  five 
inches  in  diameter,  but  a  most  disagreeable  vessel  to  drink  from. 
The  open  end  is  applied  to  the  mouth,  and  the  other  end,  like  a  gun, 
is  raisjd  to  the  required  height.  Generally,  one  receives  a  flood  over 
his  face  before  being  aware  that  it  has  reached  his  mouth. 

The  sun  poured  down  its  he.ited  rays,  which  reflected  with  intensity 
from  the  smooth  and  glassy  surface  of  the  lake,  so  that  we  feared  more 
from  its  brightness  to  our  eyes  than  from  its  heat  to  our  bodies, — 
though,  the  equator  being  within  fourteen  degrees,  it  was  at  least 
comfortably  warm  !  The  superior  comfort  of  the  Indians,  in  their 
slight  garments,  could  not  escape  our  observation  ;  and,  with  all  their 
simplicity,  it  rendered  them,  even  in  our  eyes,  more  consistent  with 
the  laws  of  health  than  ourselves,  with  all  our  assumed  knowledge. 
The  perspiration  ran  freely  down  their  tawny  skins  ;  but,  with  all 
their  labor,  it  was  less  profuse  than  ours,  confined  as  we  were  in  our 
saturated  clothes.  The  less  frequent  passing  and  repassing  of  the  long 
bamboo  to  them  also  confirmed  our  views  ;  for  our  parched  moutha 
needed  moistening  once  in  five  minutes.  The  canoe  glided  rapidly 
over  the  water,  but,  restless  beings  as  we  always  are,  we  could  hardly 
restrain  our  impatience  for  it  to  reach  the  shore.  We  watched  the 
curling,  ascending  smoke  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  when  the  boat 
touched  the  land,  and  we  sprang  out  upon  the  base  of  the  mountain- 
island.  All  that  we  could  now  see  of  it  was  a  barren  waste,  with  hero 
and  there  a  tuft  of  grass. 

The  most  tedious  part,  that  of  gaining  the  summit,  was  now  to  be 
performed,  and  we  sjt  about  it  at  once.  The  road  was  as  hard  and 
smooth  as  if  prepared  by  a  mixture  of  gravel  and  mortar  ;  but  its 
inclination  was  steep,  and  the  ascent,  under  a  broiling  sun,  I  knew 
would  be  laborious,  though  the  height  of  the  mountain  did  not  appear 
to  exceed  a  thousand  feet. 


1G8  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

1  had,  before  this,  learned  that  if,  in  ascending  high  places,  a  per- 
son should  commence  gently  and  leisurely,  he  will  have  strength  to 
holil  out  to  the  end.  But  if  he  begins  hurridly,  he  will  find  himself 
failing  before  he  has  advanced  a  hundred  feet :  and  at  each  subsequent 
step  he  will  become  more  and  more  fatigued,  and,  after  many  halts  on 
the  way,  will  sink  down  exhausted,  on  reaching  the  top.  My  prog- 
ress, therefore,  was  slow  over  the  more  gradual  aseent,  while  my 
more  animated  companions  were  pushing  ahead  as  fast  as  they  could 
go,  in  spite  of  my  interpositions  and  endeavors  to  induce  them  to  a, 
more  protracted  pace ;  and,  consequently,  I  was  left  considerably 
behind. 

The  ground  reverberated  to  our  footsteps,  indicating  a  hollowness 
beneath,  and  the  gravel-like  surface-crust,  from  long  exposure,  crum- 
bled under  our  weight.  The  last  half  of  the  distance  was  much 
steeper  than  the  first,  and  at  an  angle  of  at  least  forty-five  degrees,  — 
making  it  necessary  to  take  a  zig-zag  course,  of  double  the  distance  of 
a  direct  line,  and  to  turn  our  feet  inward  to  make  them  hold.  It  was 
fatiguing  work,  obliging;  us  occasionally  to  stop  to  take  breath  ;  ami 
the  perspiration  ran  down  my  face  in  streams.  I  arrived  on  the  sum- 
mit half  an  hour  before  my  companions ;  and  it  was  not  a  little  amus- 
ing to  sit  down  and  watch  them  below  me,  toiling  up  the  hard  way. 
But  it  was  not  so  interesting  to  them.  They  were  bent  over, 'with 
their  heads  on  a  level  with  their  knees,  their  iaces  of  a  burning  red, 
and  their  steps  and  motions  indicative  of  exhaustion,  and  of  last 
efforts  to  proceed,  which  I  too  well  understood.  Every  few  moments 
they  would  stop,  with  one  knee  bent  forward,  pausing  to  take  breath 
(and  it  seemed,  as  I  saw  their  shoulders  rise,  that  I  could  hear 
their  long  sighs  escaping)  ;  and  then  looking  behind  them  to  scan 
the  distance  they  had  passed,  and  then  turning,  with  wo-begone 
countenances,  their  eyes  upward,  they  would  measure  the  toil  before 
them. 

As  they  made  their  last  efforts  to  gain  the  spot  where  I  sat,  they 
certainly  had  my  sympathy  ;  yet  I  could  hardly  refrain  from  indulging 
in  a  little  merriment  at  their  expense.  They  seemed  like  two  aged 
men,  humbled  by  adversity,  and  bowed  down  with  years,  making  one 
grand  effort  to  reach  the  goal  of  their  hopes  ;  and,  this  attained, 
ready  to  relinquish  all  claim  to  existence ;  sinking  exhausted  on  the 
ground,  submissive  to  the  will  of  destiny.  A  little  rest,  however, 
with  the  necessary  comforts,  brought  -by  the  servants  and  boatmen, 
soon  restored  us  all  to  our  natural  selves. 

Our  company  now  numbered  twelve,  and  it  was  midday.  Before 
moving  further,  we  took  a  survey  of  the  scene  around  us.  The  moun- 
tain is  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  lake,  and  contains  thousands 
of  acres.  It  is  made  up  of  a  variety  of  ill-shaped  peaks,  and  deep 
hollows  and  chasms,  as  if  an  evil  spirit  had  thrown  up  these  masses 
of  distorted  forms.  On  our  left  extended  a  chasm,  hundreds  of  feet 
deep,  like  an  immense  furrow  ploughed  through  the  mountain.  It 
appeared  to  be  about  half  a  mile  wide  at  the  top,  inclining  so  as  to 
meet  at  the  bottom  ;  and  on  each  side  were  red  lines,  as  the  lava,  in  u 
liquid  state,  had  flowed  down.  A  narrow  oath,  or  ridge,  leads  to 


THE    CRATER. 


169 


a  peak  half  a  mile  or  more  distant,  beyond  which  the  smoke  is  rising. 
This  ridge  seeing  hardly  wide  enough  to  walk  on  ;  yet  it  is  the  only 
way  to  the  crater,  and  we  proceed  slowly  along  on  it  in  single  file.  It 
is  like  a  high,  crooked  ridge-pole,  flattened  a  little  on  the  top.  We 
kept  a  steady  balance,  looking  as  much  as  possible  to  the  path  before 
us ;  but  it  was  impossible  not  to  see  the  fearful  depths  on  each 
Bide  into  which  a  single  misstep  might  precipitate  our  then  luckless 
bodies.  A  person  liable  to  giddiness  would  be  a  fit  subject  for  such  an 
accident.  None  of  our  party  had  any  tendency  that  way  ;  though  wo 
found  it  necessary  to  halt  occasionally  and  fix  our  eyes  on  the  peak  for 
a  few  moments,  as  the  path  appeared  to  glide  backwards  from  under- 
neath our  feet. 

Arriving  at  the  top  of  the  eminence,  the  crater  in  its  whole  extent 
appeared  to  our  view,  with  striking  effect.  For  a  few  moments  we 
could  hardly  realize  that  it  was  not  a  dream  ;  for  we  had  had  dreama 
as  much  like  the  reality  as  this.  There  we  were,  looking  down  into 
an  immense  basin  of  fire,  with  the  smoke  pouring  out,  and  nothing  to 
obstruct  our  sight.  Our  first  impulse  was  to  retreat  a  pace,  fearing  too 
close  a  proximity  ;  but,  seeing  no  immediate  danger,  our  confidence 
was  quickly  restored.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

December  27th. 

DEAR  BROTHERS  :  This  basin  or  crater  is  of  circular  form,  and 
appears  to  be  about  half  a  mile  in  diameter,  —  though  it  may  be 
more  than  a  mile,  —  and  fifteen  hundred  feet  deep,  though  we  could 
not  learn  its  depth.  We  were  told  that  it  had  been  measured,  and 
found  to  be  lower  than  the  water  of  the  lake  outside  ;  but  the  height 
from  that  we  could  not  learn.  The  sides  of  the  crater  are  nearly  per- 
pendicular, and  resemble  walls  of  dried  clay  with  horizontal  strata. 
In  the  centre  were  two  cones,  or  chimneys,  the  outlets  for  the  smoke 
and  burning  elements  within  ;  their  surfaces,  slightly  concaved,  are 
grooved  into  sections,  from  top  to  base.  These  grooves  are  of  a  fiery 
red  color,  tinged  with  purple,  on  a  ground-work  almost  black,  giving  a 
very  ornamental  effect.  The  chimneys  stand  side  by  side,  like  two 
large  inverted  tunnels,  their  noses  broken  off  and  touching  at  their 
base,  and  rise  from  the  bottom  of  the  crater  to  about  one  third  the 
height  of  the  walls. 

A  beautiful  sulphur-water  lake  occupies  a  fourth  or  fifth  of  the  cra- 
ter-bottom, stretching  nearly  across  one  side,  between  the  base  of  the 
chimneys  and  the  wall.  Its  color  is  of  a  yellowish  green,  like  that  of 
sulphur,  with  a  glistening  silvery  glare  on  its  surface.  It  is  not  trans- 
parent, and  at  different  places  is  continually  boiling  and  throwing 
off  vapor  highly  charged  with  sulphurous  gas.  From  several  places 
around  the  lake  numerous  white  columns  of  steam  in  jets  were  being 
thrown  up,  as  if  from  so  many  steam-pipes  of  engines  buried  below  the 
lava-crust. 

From  the  larger  of  the  two  chimneys  belched  forth,  in  large,  dense 
volumes,  a  mixed  mass  of  fire,  smoke,  vapor  and  cinders,  although 
the  fire  in  the  sunlight  could  only  be  seen  by  its  faint  gliiniuer  ;  and 
15 


170  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

a  strong  smell  of  sulphurous  gas,  at  times  almost  suffocating,  filled  the 
air.  It  would  commence  in  a  low,  sepulchral,  half-smothered  rum- 
bling, a  half-stifled  groan  deep  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  gradually 
rising  and  increasing  to  a  suppressed  moaning  ;  then,  as  if  unable  to 
bear  its  tortures  any  longer,  it  burst  out  at  the  top  in  a  long,  half-hol- 
low explosion,  like  the  last  gasp  of  some  dying  monster.  Remaining 
quiet  lor  a  few  moments,  as  if  holding  its  breath,  signs  of  returning 
animation  would  begin  to  show  themselves,  and  it  could  be  perceived 
that  life  was  not  yet  extinct,  —  that  another  sigh  was  in  preparation, 
—  and  then,  in  the  same  suppressed  fulness,  another  gasp  would  be 
wrung  from  it.  And  thus  it  continued  as  long  as  we  stopped,  each 
gasp  seeming  the  last  :  but  there  was  no  last,  and  it  is  probably  gasp- 
ing now,  and  may  go  on  gasping  to  the  end  of  the  world,  for  any  tiling 
we  know  to  the  contrary.  The  smoky  volume  arose  into  the  sky  far 
above  our  heads,  and  then  bending  abruptly,  sluggishly  floated  off,  a 
dense  white  body,  over  the  lake,  and  then  disappeared. 

Having  satisfied  our  curiosity,  and  being  tired,  we  sat  down  on  the 
ground,  had  our  cold  meats  and  other  refreshments  brought  and  spread 
before  us,  and  took  our  dinner  with  good  appetite,  enjoying  it  none 
the  less  for  being  in  full  sight  of  the  infernal  regions,  as  the  Indians 
are  wont  to  regard  them.  While  thus  engaged  in  eating  and  watch- 
ing the  half-explosive  bursts  from  the  chimney,  one  a  little  louder  than 
the  others  made  us  fancy  that  we  felt  the  ground  tremble  ;  and, 
remarking  that  the  part  of  the  peak  we  were  on  might  cave  in  and 
precipitate  us  into  the  crater,  we  gathered  up  our  things  and  removed 
further  back,  when  we  finished  our  meal  undisturbed. 

Descending  this  peak,  I  walked  along  the  edge  of  the  crater  to  that 
portion  which  overlooked  the  sulphur  lake,  leaving  my  companions  at 
rest.  After  watching  a  while  the  various  operations  of  the  steam-jets, 
the  boiling  of  the  water,  &c.,  I  thought  I  would  throw  a  stone  into  the 
lake,  to  see  the  effect.  Picking  up  a  piece  of  hardened  lava,  the  only 
stones  to  be  found,  I  gave  it  a  toss  towards  the  middle  of  the  lake,  and 
following  it  with  the  eye.  To  my  surprise,  it  curved,  returned  towards 
the  wall  under  my  feet,  and  was  lost  to  sight.  I  threw  another,  which 
at  first  bent  directly  towards  the  centre  of  the  lake,  but,  curving  more 
and  more,  it  came  to  the  wall  again.  I  threw  another,  with  more 
force,  but  it  returned  to  the  wall  and  disappeared  like  the  others. 
Puzzled  at  this,  I  took  up  another,  a  good-sized  one,  saying  to  myself, 
I  will  make  sure  of  it  this  time,  and  whirled  it  with  such  force  that  I 
actually  believed  it  would  strike  the  opposite  shore  of  the  lake,  which, 
for  a  moment,  appeared  to  be  underneath  it ;  but  it  performed  a  larger 
circle,  returning  over  the  shore  and  water,  drawing  nearer  and 
nearer.  I  leaned  over  the  crater,  and  saw  it,  apparently  at  the 
touching  point  upon  the  wall,  vanish,  as  if  it  had  evaporated.  A 
fourth  and  more  determined  effort  was  attended  with  a  like  result. 
Foiled  and  nonplused,  I  stopped  to  philosophize.  The  wall  does  not 
appear  to  vary  one  foot  from  a  perpendicular,  and  stands  out  so  that  I 
was  just  able  to  see  its  whole  face.  Was  the  phenomenon  caused  by  a 
refraction  of  the  rays  of  light,  by  the  attraction  of  the  walls  on  a 
smaller  body,  or  by  a  magnetic  attraction  ?  I  dropped  some  pieces  far 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  TOLCANO.  171 

enough  from  the  edge  to  clear  the  ragged  points,  and  saw  them  appear 
to  touch  and  vanish  at  the  sain 3  instant,  without  hearing  the  slightest 
Bjund.  Could  it  be  that  I  was  deceived  in  the  great  depth  of  the  wall, 
and  that  the  vanishing  point  stood  out  from  a  perpendicular  further 
than  I  could  throw  a  stone  at  the  tup?  I  again  experimented  in  throw- 
ing stonjs,  but  with  the  same  results.  I  sat  down  on  the  ground,  think- 
ing it  over.  I  brought  to  bear  on  it  all  my  philosophy,  but  it  was  of 
no  use  ;  there  was  the  fact,  and  1  consoled  myself  with  the  thought 
that  probably  it  was  not  the  only  problem  I  knew  not  how  to  solve.  I 
wonder  if  a  ball,  fired  from  a  cannon,  would  return  and  hit  the  wall 
from  which  it  was  fired. 

Having  a  largo  black  bottle,  I  enclosed  a  paper  with  our  names, 
date,  visit,  £c.,  and,  sealing  the  bottle,  threw  it  into  the  sulphur  lake. 
It  closed  in  with  the  wall  at  a  short  distance  down,  and  then  disap- 
peared as  if  it  had  been  converted  into  air  by  an  unknown  solvent.  I 
may  safely  affirm,  according  to  the  testimony  of  my  ears  and  eyes,  that 
it  did  not  break,  nor  in  the  space  of  three  minutes  reach,  the  sulphur 
lake. 

Turning  my  eyes  towards  the  rounded  peak  where  we  had  dined,  the 
highest  of  all  the  eminences,  I  saw  that  my  friend  A.  had  risen  to  hia 
feet,  and  was  standing  and  gazing  into  the  old  grim  volcano,  while 
the  others  of  the  party  were  wending  their  way  towards  the  descent 
homeward. 

Noticing  his  gesticulations,  I  listened,  and  found  that  my  friend  was 
holding  forth  ;  unable,  in  his  inspiration,  to  leave  without  a  parting 
address.  I  could  not  hear  the  words,  but  I  could  imagine  him  saying  : 

"  0,  Monster  !  O,  King  of  Death  !  whose  terrible  features  we  are 
now  looking  upon  ;  we  do  not  approach  thy  presence  without  a  due 
regard  to  thy  awful  power,  and  our  own  utter  insignificance.  We 
know  that  thou  sustainest  thyself  upon  the  food  of  sulphurous  earths, 
and  the  drink  of  corroding  acids.  We  know  that  thy  tongue  is  a 
flame  of  fire  unquenchable,  that  thy  bowels  are  a  fiery  furnace  of  boil- 
ing elements,  and  that  thy  heated  breath  is  filled  with  poisonous  gases, 
the  odor  of  which  is  death  for  us  to  inhale.  We  see  in  yonder  floating 
mass  the  outpourings  of  the  continuous  blast  from  thy  capacious 
lungs.  We  hear  the  low  mutterings  of  thy  voice,  and  dread  to  hear 
thee  speak.  When  we  feel  thy  tremblings  we  know  it  is  thee,  and 
men  fear  afar.  In. the  manifestations  of  thy  wrath  thou  vomitest  out 
rivers  of  liquid  fire,  pouring  them  in  torrents  down  thy  sides,  and 
men's  hearts  are  struck  with  awe  and  terror,  made  sensible  of  thy 
inexhaustible  strength.  We  know  that  thou  sleepest  neither  by  night 
nor  by  day,  and  the  whole  world  is  filled  with  wonder  at  thee.  In 
ignorance  we  ponder  the  date  of  thy  existence,  and  believe  that  death 
is  not  to  thee.  We  do  not  leave  thine  awful  precincts  without  an  esti- 
mation of  the  grandeur,  the  magnificence,  the  greatness,  and  the  sub- 
lime majesty,  in  which  thou  art  enthroned,  the  remembrance  of  which 
will  remain  to  the  end  of  our  lives  freshly  engraven  on  the  tablets  of 
our  memories.  May  you  continue  a  long  existence  in  your  own 
glory !  " 

As  I  arrived  again  at  the  peak,  my  friend  had  concluded ;  and  his 


172  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

majesty,  the  volcano,  groaned  out,  as  if  in  response,  another  gasp,  "  So 
may  it  be,"  and  we  bade  him  an  adieu. 

We  wished  to  walk  entirely  around  the  crater,  but  our  time  would 
hardly  permit.  Poising  ourselves  on  the  ridge,  we  followed  it  back 
and  made  a  safe  descent.  It  was  now  three  o'clock  p.  M.  The  wind  had 
thrown  the  lake  into  commotion,  and  the  boatmen  refused  to  embark 
in  its  present  state  ;  and  all  we  could  say  and  offer  in  money  would 
not  change  their  determination.  Perhaps  it  was  better  for  us  that 
they  would  not  go,  though  it  was  a  great  disappointment ;  and  had 
we  known  of  it,  we  would  have  made  the  circumference  of  the  crater. 

It  was  too  late  then  to  think  of  climbing  the  mountain  a  second 
time,  and  we  walked  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  to  a  place  where  the 
grass  grew  rank  and  high,  meeting  a  poor  Indian  fisherman,  who 
offered  to  conduct  us  by  a  short  way  to  his  hut, —  the  only  one,  he  said, 
on  the  island.  We  followed  him,  winding  and  opening  a  path  through 
the  thick,  long  grass,  while  the  canoe  was  paddled  along  the  shore. 

A  walk  of  a  mile  brought  us  to  an  open  spot  between  the  moun- 
tains, where  the  ground  was  covered  with  verdure,  which  seemed  a 
delightful  retreat  in  the  midst  of  such  barrenness.  Tired  and  foot-sore, 
we  gladly  stretched  ourselves  on  the  soft  grass  in  front  of  the  hut ; 
though  my  two  companions,  fearing  the  effects  of  lying  on  the  ground, 
took  the  inside,  on  the  bamboo  floor. 

Observing  fowls  and  potatoes  about  the  grounds,  we  set  an  Indian 
to  work  to  prepare  us  a  dinner.  In  an  hour  a  fowl  was  cooked,  by 
being  held  on  pointed  sticks  over  the  fire,  and  also  thoroughly  smoked. 
But  our  stomachs  were  not  now  fastidious,  and,  sitting  on  the  floor, 
the  eating  process  commenced.  With  a  bone  in  one  hand,  a  potato 
in  the  other,  and  a  boiled  egg  apiece  (adding  the  bread  we  had  with 
us,  and  an  Indian  paper  of  rock-salt,  mixed  with  dirt),  we  fared  quite 
decently  ;  though,  when  we  came  to  deluge  our  faces  and  bosoms  from 
the  long  bamboo  which  had  traversed  the  volcano  with  us,  we  thought 
an  improvement  might  be  made,  and  the  Indian,  being  attracted  by 
our  merriment,  and  unskilfulness  in  drinking,  brought  half  of  a 
cocoa-nut  shell,  which  answered  admirably.  Without  plates,  we  did  not 
need  knives  and  forks,  which  I  suppose  the  Indian  had  never  seen ; 
and  two  of  us  together  could  manage  to  pull  the  smoking  membera 
asunder  without  much  difficulty. 

There  were  several  children  shying  and  peeping  .through  the  inter- 
stices of  the  hut ;  but  they  did  not  show  themselves  openly.  The 
mother  we  did  not  see,  but  concluded,  if  there  was  one,  she  must  be 
at  work  on  the  soil  somewhere.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


SUSPICIOUS  ITOIANS.  173 


CHAPTER    XX. 

SUSPICIOUS    INDIANS. DISMAL    NIGHT.  —  INDIANS    FEASTING   AND   DANC- 
ING. — -  DISAGREEABLE   PREDICAMENT. 

Manilla,  December  21th. 

DEAR  BROTHERS  :  A  good  look-out  was  kept  to  see  when  the  turbu- 
lence of  the  lake  should  cease,  1'or  to-morrow  noon  we  wish  to  join 
our  companions  at  Columbo  at  the  lagunas.  We  waited  till  six  p.  M., 
and  then  determined  to  go,  even  if  we  had  to  row  ourselves.  Having 
paid  our  hospitable  Indian,  we  passed  down  to  the  canoe.  Here  we 
met  Mr.  listed,  the  Englishman  we  left  this  forenoon  at  the  houso  of 
our  particular  Indian  friends,  and  who  wished  us  to  wait  for  him,  that 
he  might  join  us  back,  lie  had  just  landed,  and  generously  uiLred  us  his 
canoe,  which  was  larger,  and  had  sails  and  outriggers,  while  he, 
accompanied  by  several  Indians,  sluuld  make  his  visit  to  the  volcano. 
With  many  thanks  we  accepted  of  ids  kindness,  and,  paying  our  own 
boatmen,  were  immediately  ofl'  with  his  crew. 

In  two  hours,  at  eight  in  the  evening,  we  landed  at  the  place  where 
we  had  embarked  in  the  forenoon.  A  number  of  Indians,  with  torches, 
conducted  us  to  a  cluster  of  Indian  houses,  a  little  way  in  the  forest, 
when;  our  horses  were  secured.  We  entered  one  of  the  houses  by  an 
ugly  ladder,  and  sat  down  on  the  floor  to  wait  while  the  horses  were 
brought.  After  a  while,  uneasy  at  the  delay,  we  went  out  to  see  what 
they  were  doing  ;  but  we  could  see  nothing,  it  was  so  dark,  and  came 
back  as  wise  as  when  we  went,  with  the  exception  of  knowing  that 
it  had  begun  to  rain.  Mr.  N.  blazed  away  at  the  Teni-en-te,  who 
answered  that  the  horses  were  put  up;  that  it  was  too  dark  and  rainy, 
and  that  we  should  surely  be  attacked  by  robbers  if  we  went ;  and  the 
servants  manifested  the  same  fear. 

4i  Fire  and  water  !  "  we  all  exclaimed,  and  told  them  to  have  the 
horses  re-saddled  and  bridled,  and  torches  prepared  ;  and  that,  when  the 
rain  should  lessen,  we  should  depart,  robbers  or  anything  else.  The 
rain  continued  to  pour,  and  Indian  after  Indian  passed  in  and  out, 
At  one  time  there  were  nineteen  or  twenty  seated  before  us  on  the 
floor  of  the  only  room,  eating  their  boiled  rice  and  fish,  with  most 
viiUnous-looking  countenances.  They  left  the  room  one  after  another, 
excepting  three  or  four,  and  we  deliberated  what  to  do.  It  was  past 
nine  in  the  evening ;  the  rain  rattled  on  the  thatched  roof,  black 
darkness  prevailed  outside,  and  we  should  soon  be  asleep,  for  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  we  could  keep  our  eyes  open.  The  Teni-en-te, 
who  had  gone  out  to  see  what  he  could  learn,  returned  with  a  long 
visage,  and  said  that  a  large  party  of  those  who  were  in  here  had  just 
left,  taking  a  by-path,  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  us  on  our  way  ; 
and  he  urged  us,  by  all  means,  to  remain  over  night.  Whether  it  was 
so  or  not,  we  determined  to  go,  and  pledged  ourselves,  through  all  dan- 
gers which  might  assail  us,  to  stand  by  each  other  to  the  last.  By  tlia 
15* 


174  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

aid  of  torches,  the  guides  very  reluctantly  brought  up  the  horses, 
declaring,  at  the  same  time,  that  they  would  not  go.  Our  arms  being 
adjusted  and  secured  in  convenient  places,  we  thoroughly  examined 
our  saddles,  bridles  and  travailing  equipments,  mounted  into  the  seats, 
and  started.  We  had  proceeded  but  a  few  steps,  when  the  guides 
said  they  would  go  ;  and  they  brought  out  their  horses,  —  which,  as 
it  appeared,  were  all  ready,  —  and  we  went  together. 

A  dismal,  dark  and  rainy  night  was  before  us,  and  our  torches  were 
cast  aside,  it  being  safer  without  them.  The  horses  went  at  a  walking 
pace  without  guiding,  and  we  rode  for  an  hour  in  silence,  neither  the 
guides  nor  ourselves  hardly  speaking.  Our  path  was  a  different  one 
from  that  we  came,  hoping  thereby  to  elude  any  ambuscade  that  might 
be  in  wait  for  us.  The  unshod  horses  slipped  badly,  and  struggled 
hard  in  climbing  some  of  the  hills.  I  could  not  see  how  the  others 
managed,  but  sometimes  I  found  the  mane  insufficient,  and  had  to 
clasp  the  horse's  neck  to  avoid  sliding  off  behind  by  his  violent 
motions  in  the  ascent.  In  descending,  it  seemed  that  I  should  go  over 
his  head,  in  spite  of  all  the  exertion  I  could  make  ;  and  the  jerk  of 
the  horse,  slipping  and  catching,  carried  me  several  times  near  to  his 
cars.  A  stray  buffalo,  or  the  limb  of  a  tree,  hitting  our  persons, 
caused  us  to  draw  our  pistols  a  few  times  ;  but  we  saw  nothing  of 
Indians  until  we  emerged  from  the  woods.  We  then  entered  on  an 
open  road,  broad,  but  crooked,  with  thick  brush  on  each  side.  The 
rain  having  ceased,  we  could  see  quite  comfortably,  and  an  Indian 
appeared  alone.  He  was  on  horseback,  and  rode  leisurely  past,  sur- 
veying each  one  of  us.  We  watched  him,  and  saw  him  stop  and  look 
after  us  a  moment,  when,  putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  he  quickly  dis- 
appeared in  the  darkness.  Our  Teni-en-te  said  that  he  must  be 
reconnoitring  for  a  gang  not  far  off.  After  walking  a  few  yards  fur- 
ther, our  leader  exclaimed,  "  Now,  go  on  ;  "  and,  setting  the  example, 
the  horses  were  urged  to  their  fullest  speed,  till  we  came  in  sight  of 
the  lights  of  the  town,  and  we  dismounted  safely  in  the  yard  of  our 
"  particular  Indian  friends."  They  received  us  with  open  arms,  and 
embraced  us ;  and,  while  we  were  reclining  for  a  little  rest,  they  listened 
attentively  to  the  story  of  the  Teni-en-te,  as  he  related  our  adventures. 
The  intendante  and  guides  seemed  overjoyed  at  having  reached  this 
place  in  safety,  and  talked  of  the  good  night's  rest  we  should  have 
here ;  but,  as  we  ordered  up  fresh  horses,  they  put  on  their  longest 
faces.  Our  Indian  friends  had  assured  themselves  that  we  were  to  be 
their  guests  for  the  night,  and  would  not  listen  to  our  going.  The 
rejection  of  their  proffered  hospitalities  they  regarded  as  such  a  slight, 
and  as  an  act  so  unfriendly  towards  them,  that,  when  we  told  them 
of  our  delays,  and  that  to-morrow  noon  we  were  to  be  back  at  the 
lagunas,  they  even  then  refused  to  be  reconciled.  Moreover,  they 
recapitulated  all  the  innumerable  obstacles  and  difficulties  of  the  way, 
—  the  "  gang  of  robbers,"  &c.  They  added  that  they  were  respons- 
ible to  the  Spanish  government,  which  does  not  permit  of  travelling 
after  eleven  o'clock ;  and  that,  any  accident  happening  to  us,  the  con- 
sequences would  fall  heavily  on  them  for  furnishing  horses,  and  allow- 
ing us  to  go. 


MANILLA. INDIAN    FEASTING    AND   DANCING.  175 

"  No,"  said  they,  "  you  must  stay  till  morning,  and  then  all  shall 
be  ready  for  you." 

Mr.  N.  was  of  the  opinion  that  they  could  not  be  compelled ;  and  we 
acquiesced  with  him  that  it  was  best  to  wait  an  hour,  and  then  sea 
what  could  be  done. 

Our  Indian  friends  told  us  that  ifrwas  feast-day  with  them,  —  that 
they  had  attended  mass  at  the  Catholic  church  in  the  forenoon,  and, 
as  their  house  was  filled  with  their  friends,  they  wished  us  to  join  in 
their  festivities  and  pleasures.  They  seated  us  at  a  table  with  the 
capitan  froiu  a  neighboring  town,  and,  though  they  had  been  eating 
all  the  evening,  their  politeness  was  such  that  they  joined  us,  and  eat 
again.  Dish  after  dish  of  meats,  &c.,  was  brought,  and  several  times, 
when  we  thought  we  had  finished,  we  found  our  plates  loaded  again, 
in  doing  which  they  seemed  to  take  much  pleasure.  After  they  had 
made  us  eat  as  much  as  they  could,  they  brought  on  a  variety  of 
sweetmeats,  and  cups  of  hot  chocolate.  This  last  was  very  palatable, 
and  rich  and  thick,  and  is  much  used  as  a  "beverage. 

This  house  was  of  bamboo,  like  all  the  others,  and  elevated  about 
ten  feet  from  the  ground,  on  posts  ;  but  it  contained  several  rooms,  one 
of  which  had  regular  board  floors,  instead  of  bamboo.  In  two  of  the 
rooms  there  was  music  and  dancing.  With  our  Indian  friends  it  is  a 
mass  in  the  forenoon,  and  music,  dancing  and  feasting,  the  remainder 
of  the  day  !  We  were  conducted  into  these  rooms,  which  were  filled 
with  the  best  class  of  Indian  company,  whom,  I  suppose,  we  must 
denominate  Indian  gentlemen  and  Indian  ladies.  There  was  an  Indian 
band  of  music,  of  flutes,  harps,  two  treble  and  two  bass  guitars,  &c., 
which  were  fascinatingly  played.  A  table  was  then  loaded  with 
meats,  cakes,  candies,  sweetmeats,  chocolate,  &c.  ;  but  we  thought 
they  would  not  attempt  to  make  us  eat  again.  We  were,  however, 
mistaken  ;  eating  was  the  first  thing  to  be  attended  to,  and  eat  we 
must.  This  is  such  an  important  item  of  Indian  etiquette,  that  we 
tried  to  make  a  show  of  eating,  and  passed  through  the  ordeal  to  the 
apparent  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  I  advocated  an  immediate 
departure,  as  the  only  safe  mode  of  surviving  the  night,  notwithstand- 
ing the  robbers. 

But  our  time  had  not  arrived  ;  we  had  not  yet  danced,  ar\d  we  were 
not  sufl'ered  to  remain  idle  spectators.  They  took  us  by  the  hand,  and 
led  us  to  partners  on  the  floor,  who  at  first  seemed  abashed,  and  fre- 
quently blushed  through  their  dark  skins  ;  but  they  soon  threw  off 
their  reserve,  on  perceiving  that  we  made  ourselves  quite  at  home. 
They  were  all  dressed  in  their  best,  —  the  ladies,  like  the  Mestizos, 
in  bright  colors,  and  in  slippers  which  seemed  just  ready  to  drop  off, 
clattering  at  each  step  ;  and  the  gentlemen,  in  striped  pants  and  light 
frocks.  Several  of  the  ladies  were  handsome,  which  our  Indian  friends 
appeared  to  be  as  well  aware  of  as  we  ;  for  they  selected  the  prettiest 
ones  for  us  to  dance  with,  though  there  were  others  plain  and  homely. 
The  dancing  continued  almost  without  intermission  ;  and  as  fast  as 
couples  retired  to  their  seats,  their  places  were  supplied  by  others. 
The  figures  were  much  like  our  own  at  home,  though  there  were  some 
polkas  or  fancy  dances,  which,  I  suppose,  are  peculiar  to  themselves. 


176  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

The  step  of  the  gentlemen  was  in  rapid  leaps  and  skips,  and  that  of 
the  ladies  was  by  slow,  sliding  shufflings,  each  marked  by  a  jerk  of  the 
knees,  and  scarcely  lifting  the  feet  from  the  floor,  which  their  slippers 
would  not  admit  of;  yet  all  in  perfect  time  with  the  music.  It  was 
very  novel  and  amusing  to  see  those  two  opposites  confronted,  —  the 
excited  motions  and  gestures  of  the  gentlemen  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  cool,  measured  movements  of  the  ladies  on  the  other,  and  all  at 
the  same  time. 

The  favorite  part  of  their  dancing  was  the  waltz,  and  here  I  made 
a  jumble  ;  for  the  partners  take  hold  of  each  other's  hands,  instead  of 
the  manner  customary  with  us.  We  were  ranged  around  with  our 
partners,  and  the  exhilarating  music  for  the  waltz  commenced.  I 
started  with  the  others,  but  the  lady  smiled  and  shrank  back.  I  fol- 
lowed, and  she  retreated,  until  we  came  to  the  bamboo  settee,  on  which 
she  seated  herself.  Not  knowing  what  the  difficulty  was,  and  unable 
to  speak  with  each  other  for  an  explanation,  I  was  about  to  sit  down, 
when  she  arose,  and  I  putting  my  hand  upon  her  waist,  we  began 
again.  Still  shrinking  from  me,  she  laughed,  and  stepped  backwards 
as  fast  as  I  advanced,  and  we  both  were  seated  on  the  settee  a  second 
time.  I  felt  a  little  confused,  for  she  was  the  belle  of  the  party,  and 
it  was  my  first  dance  with  her,  and  the  step  was  similar  to  our  own. 
I  could  not  make  out  whether  the  fault  was  mine  or  hers.  I  was  sure 
.there  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  her  dancing  before,  though  I  had  not 
seen  her  waltzing.  However,  she  threw  back  her  beautiful  tresses, 
and,  with  her  black  eyes  sparkling  and  a  lively  smile  on  her  face,  she 
came  forward  again,  and,  before  I  had  time  to  make  any  movement, 
she  seized  both  my  hands,  holding  them  tightly  in  her  own,  and  catch- 
ing the  step,  we  went  off  around  the  room,  amid  the  clapping  and 
cheers  of  the  Indian  company  who  were  observing  us.  My  obtuseness 
was  not  so  great  but  that  1  then  perceived  where  the  difficulty  lay,  and 
I  concluded  that  the  Indians  were  one  step  in  advance  of  Europeans. 
The  waltz  ended,  the  Indian  gentlemen  gathered  about  me,  and,  with 
many  shakes  of  the  hand,  and  pattings  upon  the  shoulder,  congratu- 
lated me  on  my  success  ;  and  the  Indian  beauty,  with  an  air  of  satis- 
faction at  her  exploit,  seated  herself,  laughing  and  talking,  in  no  little 
glee,  with  her  companions.  The  gentlemen  appeared  to  consider  it 
quite  an  honor  that  we  should  condescend  to  mingle  with  them,  and 
the  ladies  were  no  less  pleased  with  the  distinction  of  having  had 
European  partners. 

My  friend  N.  told  our  Indian  hosts  that  I  could  play  the  flute,  and 
they  handed  me  over,  without  any  ceremony,  to  the  band,  as  if  deter- 
mined to  make  the  most  of  us.  The  principal  flutists  delivered  up 
their  instruments,  which  I  declined.  They  finally  put  a  spare  flute 
into  my  hands  for  me  to  play  alone.  This  I  refused  to  do,  but  con- 
sented to  try  with  the  band,  though  I  was  unacquainted  with  any  of 
their  music,  except  from  hearing  it  played.  This  satisfied  them,  and 
the  dancing  went  on.  I  contrived,  after  my  own  fashion,  to  make  a 
third  part  to  one  of  their  favorite  tunes,  with  which  they  were 
delighted,  though  I  could  not  tell  whether  from  my  good  or  bad  play- 
ing* The  excitement  of  the  dancers  increased,  and  the  baud  of 


MANILLA.  —  A  LUCKY  ESCAPE.  177 

musicians  were  soon  all  going  in  double  quick  time.  The  gentlemen 
leaped  backwards  and  forwards,  up  and  around,  gesticulating,  with 
peculiar  emphasis,  arms,  heads  and  feet,  and  glancing  at  me  or  my 
companions  dancing;  and,  iu  the  height  of  their  enthusiasm,  whirled 
each  other's  partners,  to  the  discomfiture,  yet  amusement,  of  the 
ladie.s,  some-  of  whom  lost  off  their  slippers.  I  played  as  fast  aa 
I  could,  the  band  increasing  their  time  until  I  was  played  off  the  track 
altogether  ;  and  finally  they  played  themselves  off,  and  the  dancers 
off  the  floor  with  them.  Here  the  festivities  ended,  and  the  Indian 
gentlemen  gathered  around  us,  shaking  our  hands  with  many  expres- 
sions of  thankfulness  for  the  enjoyment  they  had  received.  One  of 
the  oldest  Indians,  with  his  daughter  on  his  arm,  took  leave  ;  and  the 
others,  as  if  his  example  was  the  sign  of  departure,  followed,  one  after 
the  other. 

It  was  now  between  eleven  and  twelve  at  night,  and  we  besought 
our  Indian  friends  for  the  horses.  They  endeavored  to  persuade  us  to 
remain  ;  but,  seeing  our  determination,  yielded  reluctantly,  saying 
that,  as  we  had  proved  ourselves  their  friends,  they  were  ours,  and  we 
should  go  if  we  wished.  Horses  were  brought,  and,  in  addition  to 
our  own  men,  they  provided  us  with  two  well-armed  guards,  telling 
us  that  we  should  need  them.  Embracing  us,  shaking  our  hands 
with  much  warmth  of  feeling,  and  descending  the  steps  with  us,  they 
saw  us  mounted  on  our  horses,  and,  with  many  wishes  for  a  safe  and 
pleasant  journey,  bade  us  "  adios,  adios." 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

Manilla,  December  2^lh. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  We  travelled  slowly  until  we  came  to  the  river, 
which  was  to  be  forded.  We  heard  the  guides  plunge  in,  but  could 
not  see  them.  Our  horses  kept  along  a  little  way,  and  then  stopping, 
became  unmanageable,  and  refused  to  go  on.  Supposing  they  were 
afraid  of  the  water,  we  applied  the  sticks  and  jerked  their  heads  by 
the  bridle-rein,  but  without  avail.  They  turned  around  with  us,  and 
wo  found,  by  the  descent  they  were  making,  that  we  had  mi«sed  our 
road,  and  had  been  trying  to  urge  them  over  the  steep  bank  of  the 
river.  The  horses  having  regained  their  road,  which  was  a  cut 
through  the  bank  down  to  the  fording-place,  we  could  indistinctly 
sec  where  we  had  been,  and  which  might  be  somewhere  from  twelve 
to  thirty  feet  deep.  The  horses  plunged  in  one  after  the  other  ;  we 
congratulated  ourselves  that  we  had  not  leaped  unawares  from  the 
top  of  the  bank,  and  landed  safely  upon  the  opposite  shore. 

Continuing  our  way,  we  could  see  tolerably  well,  the  country  being 
more  open,  the  road  comparatively  good,  and  the  darkness  much  lesa 
than  that  of  the  preceding  night.  We  travelled  in  a  close  body,  so 
that  no  one  alone  should  be  surprised.  With  the  armed  guards  on 
all  sides  of  us,  and  pistol  in  hand,  scrutinizing  every  place,  straining 
our  eyes  into  the  gloom  of  every  thicket,  and  looking  at  every  rustling 
leaf,  we  arrived  at  the  next  town,  without  meeting  with  any  one, 
between  twelve  and  one  in  the  morning  of  Thursday,  December  28th. 

Calling  up  the  capitan,  and  procuring   a  change  of  horses  and 


178  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

guards,  though  the  capitan  was  very  unwilling  to  do  anything  about 
it,  we  started  once  more  with  our  little  cavalcade  of  nine  or  ten  per- 
sons. We  were  obliged  to  travel  quite  slowly,  it  being  now  dark  and 
muddy,  with  many  bad  places  to  pass.  The  night  air  and  our  wet 
clothes  chilled  us  through,  making  my  body  tremble  and  teeth  chatter. 
Twice  I  fell  asleep  and  nearly  dropped  from  my  horse,  but  as  we 
approached  another  suspicious  spot  I  became  thoroughly  aroused. 
Here  was  a  deep  pond-hole  of  mud,  mire  and  water,  which  we  must  go 
through  the  best  way  we  could.  It  was  enclosed  by  a  thicket,  —  a 
fine  place  for  a  band  of  desperadoes  to  conceal  themselves  and  take 
advantage  of  our  misfortunes.  "  The  worst  place  of  all  is  this  old 
swamp-hole,"  remarked  Mr.  A.  ;  "  it  is  such  a  fine  place  for  the 
scamps  to  hide  in,  and  we  should  not  see  anything  till  we  feel  their 
spears."  To  all  of  which  Mr.  N.  and  I  perfectly  agreed.  Although 
I  began  to  doubt  our  being  attacked  at  all,  I  could  not  keep  my  eyes 
away  from  every  dark  object,  and  was  not  easy  until  we  had  passed  ; 
for  every  one  had  told  us  that  we  should  fall  in  with  the  robbers 
somewhere.  I  believed  that  our  escape  thus  far  was  on  account  of 
their  fear  of  so  many  of  us,  and  more  especially  as  there  were  three 
white  men  to  contend  against ;  for  the  Indians  fear  one  white  man  as 
much  as  several  of  their  own  people.*  The  horses  struggled,  and  it 
was  doubtful  at  times  what  the  issue  was  to  be  ;  they  inired,  stuck 
fast,  and  would  have  sunk  down  but  for  our  sticks,  which  excited 
them  to  fresh  energies.  I  could  not  help  laughing,  notwithstanding 
the  dangers,  when  we  were  pitching  and  floundering  in  the  midst 
of  this  slough-hole.  But  fortune  favored  us,  and  we  went  through 
without  leaving  any  one  of  our  number  behind. 

Between  two  and  three  in  the  morning  we  suddenly  heard  a  crow- 
ing of  cocks  around  us,  though  no  habitations  were  to  be  perceived. 
They  commenced  not  far  from  us,  answering  each  other,  and  died 
away  in  the  distance.  After  listening  to  them  a  while,  one  of  our 
companions  exclaimed, 

"  I  say,  does  that  not  sound  very  much  like  human  voices  ?  I 
believe  they  are  Indians  crowing  in  that  way  to  entrap  us.  There, 
that  is  not  a  cock  crowing  !  That  is  a  human  voice,  surely  !  " 

We  all  thought  they  sounded  much  like  human  voices,  but  no 
Indians  appeared  afterwards ;  and  we  saw  Indian  houses,  and  con- 
cluded the  sounds  were  not  imitations. 

Not  very  long  after  we  came  to  a  guard-house,  or  police-station, 
with  a  bar  drawn  across  the  passage.  These  are  small  buildings,  like 
a  shed,  erected  over  the  road  at  intervals  of  several  miles  by  the 
government.  There  was  a  door,  which  was  locked,  through  which 
all  must  pass.  The  guard  was  asleep  in  one  end  of  the  building,  and, 
after  some  delay,  made  his  appearance.  Much  talking  and  discussion 

*  Three  days  after  this,  Mr.  N.  received  a  letter  from  one  of  our  particular 
Indian  friends,  inquiring  how  we  succeeded,  after  leaving  his  houfe,  in  reach- 
ing the  lagunas  ;  also  stating  that  on  this  same  night  his  brother  cupitan 
had  been  attacked  and  robbed  on  the  road  that  we  had  passed,  and  that  some 
of  tiio  robbers  had  since  been  taken. 


MANILLA. RETURN    TO    COLUMBO.  179 

followed  between  him  and  our  leaders,  which  resulted  in  our  horses 
being  led  off,  and  ourselves  obliged  to  remain  till  daylight.  The 
reason  of  this  we  did  not  know,  but  presumed  that  horses  could  not  be 
got  at  this  hour,  and  our  own  horses  were  too  jaded  to  go  on.  Being 
conducted  to  a  house  of  a  village  a  little  way  off,  and  an  empty  room 
shown  us,  a  hard,  knobby  bamboo  floor,  through  which  one  could  see 
below  seven  or  eight  feet,  was  once  more  our  couch,  and  a  blanket 
our  bed.  We  wrapped  up,  extended  ourselves  like  so  many  Indians, 
and  were  soon  beyond  the  pale  of  wakefulness. 

We  were  aroused  at  early  dawn,  our  horses  were  at  the  door,  and  I 
awoke  sufficiently  to  feel  the  cold  streams  pouring  through  the  inter- 
stices of  the  floor.  Chilled  through  and  stiffened,  in  my  damp  clothes 
with  wet  feet,  I  felt  unable  to  move,  and  would  have  given  ten  dollars 
for  another  hour's  sleep.  Slowly  bringing  myself  to  a  perpendicular 
posture,  and  gathering  up  my  blanket,  I  mounted  my  horse  from  the 
ladder  leading  down  from  the  door. 

During  this  part  of  our  journey  we  had  opportunity  to  see  the  road 
we  had  travelled  over  the  first  night  of  our  leaving  Columbo.  After  a 
few  miles  we  began  to  enter  on  it,  before  the  sun  had  risen.  Of  all 
bad  roads  I  had  ever  seen,  I  never  saw  anything  to  compare  with  it. 
We  passed  many  Indians  on  the  way,  who  were  mostly  on  foot, 
driving  their  pack-horses  before  them.  They  seemed  to  be  going  to  or 
returning  from  market,  generally  in  parties  of  ten  to  thirty.  The 
horses  had  panniers  hung  on  both  sides,  with  potatoes,  onions,  pigs, 
chickens,  eggs,  &c.  ;  and  some  had  their  own  families  loaded  in,  the 
heads  of  several  pappooses  being  sometimes  seen  sticking  up  above  the 
sides.  There  were  places  in  passing  where  one  party  must  wait  for 
the  other,  and  if  two  parties  met  it  was  a  dilemma  how  to  proceed. 
If  on  a  ridge,  one  must  either  turn  into  a  slough-hole  of  an  unknown 
depth,  or  ride  down  some  almost  perpendicular  bank.  I  saw  the 
place  in  which,  I  presume,  I  must  have  been  when  I  wtfs  lost,  and  the 
guides  came  back  to  get  me  out.  They  were,  indeed,  sufficiently 
formidable  by  daylight  or  by  moonlight,  without  groping  one's  way 
along  in  black  darkness.  For  long  distances  logs  had  been  laid  down 
crosswise,  apparently  through  a  swamp,  between  which  there  was 
only  room  for  the  horses'  feet,  and  over  which  one  foot  must  be 
stepped  at  a  time.  We  went  again  through  ponds  of  mud,  where  one 
would  hardly  know  whether  to  call  it  wading  or  swimming.  A 
number  of  monkeys  scampered  about  the  trees  on  one  side  of  the  road, 
stopping  now  and  then  to  make  up  faces  at  us,  and  peering  at  us  in 
all  sorts  of  attitudes.  A  large  serpent  lay  on  the  opposite  bank, 
among  some  bushes,  apparently  watching  them.  We  could  not  see 
his  length,  but  we  had  not  the  time  or  inclination  to  engage  him  in 
battle.  We  went  on  plodding  at  a  slow  pace,  but  as  fast  as  we  could 
go ;  and  when  wo  could  trot  or  gallop  five  yards,  we  made  it  a  point 
to  improve  it.  Our  last  four  miles  were  over  a  good  road,  and  the 
tired  horses  were  put  to  their  utmost  speed.  We  arrived  at  Columbo 
at  one  r.  M.,  instead  of  twelve,  an  hour  past  the  time ;  and  our  com- 
panions, after  waiting  half  an  hour  for  us,  had  departed.  We  did 
not  like  the  idea  of  being  left,  but  we  contented  ourselves  by  returning 


180  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

to  the  house  of  our  intendante,  and  ordering  the  best  breakfast  the 
country  could  afford. 

Hiring  another  prow,  and  packing  our  things  aboard,  we  set  sail  for 
Manilla.  In  a  few  hours  we  had  crossed  the  lake  to  the  river,  where 
we  changed  our  prow  for  a  canoe,  and,  gliding  down  the  river,  we 
arrived  at  Manilla  in  the  evening,  much  to  the  surprise  of  our  com- 
panions. They  had  been  at  home  two  hours,  and  did  not  expect  us 
for  three  days,  if  we  came  at  all ;  for  they  believed  we  were  either 
killed  or  laid  up  by  a  conflict  with  the  robbers.  A  good  supper  was 
provided  in  Mr.  A.'s  room,  where  we  all  met,  talking  over  our 
adventures,  and  enjoying  a  happy  reunion  until  midnight. 

Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

EXPEDITION   TO   A   CAVE.  —  A   CALL    AT     SAN    PEDRO   MACATI.  A   GORGE 

OF   THE  MOUNTAINS,    AND   RAPIDS. EXPLORATION   OF   A   CAVE,  ETC. 

LETTER   TO   A   BROTHER. 

Manilla,  Dec.  29/A. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  After  a  good  night's  rest,  in  a  comfortable  bed,  we 
arose  this  morning  much  refreshed  in  mind  and  body,  notwithstanding 
the  disagreeable  weather,  and  the  haste  with  which  we  had  journeyed. 
All  our  party  expressed  themselves  highly  satisfied  with  the  trip  to  the 
lagunas  ;  and  those  of  us  who  had  made  the  excursion  to  the  volcano, 
in  spite  of  bad  roads,  fear  of  robbers,  and  want  of  sleep,  felt  so  well 
remunerated  that  we  framed  an  expedition  for  to-morrow  to  the 
"  Cave  "  in  a  mountain,  which  is  spoken  of  as  a  curiosity. 

To-day  I  changed  my  boarding-place,  and  came  back  to  the  hotel, 
where  I  find  myself  situated  much  more  to  my  mind. 

There  seems  to  be  nothing  but  parades  and  feasts  here  at  this  time, 
holiday  succeeding  holiday. 

This  afternoon,  with  a  small  party,  we  rode  out  to  San  Pedro 
Macati,  ten  miles  in  the  country.  We  called  on  several  of  the  better 
Indian  families,  and  were  treated  to  some  fine  music,  from  their  harps 
and  guitars,  by  the  daughters.  Some  of  them  live  in  large  two-story 
stone  houses,  and  have  pianos  ;  but  they  play  very  little  on  them.  Poor 
girls  !  where  they  have  adopted  the  habits,  dress  and  customs,  of  civil- 
ized life,  they  become  sickly.  The  dark  red  was  fading  from  their 
cheeks,  their  peculiar  animation  and  vivacity  was  lost,  their  naturally 
rounded  forms  were  exchanged  for  angular  prominences.  From  their 
close  dresses  vital  organs  were  being  impeded  in  their  functions,  and  bile, 
which  should  aid  in  the  digestive  process,  forced  back  and  carried  into 


MANILLA. EXPEDITION    TO   A    CAVE.  181 

the  circulatory  system,  imparted  its  yellow  tinge  to  the  skin.  The 
lungs  were  showing  the  effects  of  their  compression  in  short  breaths 
and  hacking  coughs  ;  and  a  wasting  consumption,  unknown  to  them- 
selves, had  already  commenced.  It  does  not  look  reasonable  that  this 
people  of  nature  can,  at  one  step,  pass  into  civilization,  without  bring- 
ing its  evils  on  them.  I  could  not  help  thinking  how  much  better  off 
were  they  in  their  native  state,  with  health  and  beauty,  than  now, 
with  declining  health  and  emaciating  bodies. 

At  one  of  the  houses  of  a  wealthy  family,  where  we  had  called  sev- 
eral times  before,  they  showed  us  much  hospitality,  and  insisted  on 
our  taking  beer,  wine,  and  different  kinds  of  cake,  Ac.  The  daughters 
we  have  met  frequently  at  feasts,  in  different  places.  One,  however, 
had  eloped  and  married  during  the  last  week.  She  had  often  declared 
this  intention  to  her  father,  if  he  did  not  give  his  consent.  He  con- 
tinued to  refuse,  and  she  made  good  her  word.  At  their  request  we 
sang  "  America,"  and  a  few  other  songs,  in  listening  to  which  they 
seemed  to  take  much  pleasure.  In  the  eve  we  returned  home,  and 
assembled  in  one  of  our  rooms,  where  we  had  dinner. 

Saturday,  Dec.  ZQth. — This  afternoon  Messrs.  Napper,  Alexander 
and  myself,  were  to  start  on  the  "  Cave  "  expedition.  We  devoted  about 
five  minutes  to  dinner,  and,  with  our  indispensable  box  of  provisions 
safely  packed,  we  departed.  One  went  on  horseback,  and  two  in  the 
chaise ;  and  the  two  servants  followed  on  horseback.  Mr.  A.  rode 
the  horse  for  the  first  few  miles,  and  I  rode  in  the  chaise  ;  then  chang- 
ing, I  rode  the  horse  the  remainder  of  the  way.  We  arrived  at  Mari- 
quina,  a  place  inhabited  by  Mustesoes  and  Spaniards,  without  any 
particular  incident,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening ;  the  distance  I 
should  think  was  near  twenty  miles.  The  stirrup-strap  broke  once, 
and  I  was  nearly  thrown  to  the  ground ;  but  I  changed  horses  with 
one  of  the  servants,  and  afterwards  went  on  very  well.  In  crossing  a 
stream,  not  liking  to  get  wet  the  first  part  of  the  way,  I  dismounted 
and  rode  over  in  the  chaise,  the  boy  leading  my  horse.  But  I  nearly 
repented  of  this  ;  for  we  came  to  a  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  broad 
river,  the  horse  at  last  barely  succeeding  in  drawing  us  out. 

Mr.  Tuason  having  given  us  a  letter  to  a  relative  of  his,  a  widow 
lady  in  Mariquina,  we  stopped  at  her  house  and  recruited,  and  exam- 
ined some  beautiful  Scripture-pieces  with  which  the  room  was  orna- 
mented, of  which  every  Roman  Catholic  house  contains  more  or  less. 

We  again  started  at  full  speed  ;  six  miles  from  Mariquina  brought 
us  to  an  Indian  house,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  Manilla,  the  end 
of  our  journey  with  the  chaise.  Here  they  gave  us  a  supper  of  fried 
eggs  and  boiled  rice,  which,  with  our  own  provisions,  made  us  a  hearty 
meal.  Having  paid  our  host,  we  were  again  ready ;  and,  procuring 
guides,  we  mounted  our  horses  and  pushed  along.  The  guides  walked 
ahead,  with  lighted  torches  to  show  the  way,  and  they  carried  a  bun- 
dle of  toi-ches  and  lighted  candles,  which  we  had  procured  at  Mari- 
quina. As  we  passed  through  some  narrow,  rocky  defiles,  winding 
along  through  woody  places,  and  over  frail  bridges,  I  thought  that  we 
must  look  like  banditti  prowling  about,  on  a  midnight  depredation. 
Five  miles  further  brought  us  to  the  last  Indian  house  in  this  direo 
16 


182  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

tion,  and  as  far  as  we  could  proceed  on  horses.  It  was  now  midnight, 
and  thirty  miles  from  Manilla. 

Dec.  3lst, Soon  after  one  o'clock  this  morning,  I  was  seated 

in  front  of  an  Indian  house  on  a  log,  Mr.  A.  was  walking  back  and 
forth,  Mr.  N.  was  in  the  house,  the  boy  was  taking  care  of  the  horses, 
one  man  was  holding  a  torch,  while  two  or  three  had  gone  in  quest  of 
a  canoe  to  take  us  up  the  river.  The  Indians  did  not  seem  to  like 
being  called  up  in  the  night.  They  came  back  in  an  hour  and  a  half, 
having  kept  us  waiting  all  that  time,  and  brought  us  intelligence  that 
they  could  not  find  the  canoes  till  morning.  It  was  already  three 
o'clock,  and  we  concluded  to  wait,  and  reclined  on  the  floor  to  secure 
a  rest  of  two  hours'  duration. 

At  five  we  were  all  up,  alive  and  well,  not  having  slept,  but  rested, 
and  with  our  boys  and  four  Indians  we  marched  to  the  river,  where 
were  no  canoes.  We  waited  a  little,  and  told  them  to  lead  the 
way  on  foot,  as  we  should  wait  no  longer,  although  the  distance  and 
prospect  were  not  very  pleasing.  The  first  thing  was  to  cross  the 
river.  I  was  looking  to  see  how  we  were  to  accomplish  this,  when  I 
saw  Mr.  N.  seated  on  the  shoulders,  and  his  feet  on  each  side  the 
neckj  of  one  of  the  guides.  One  of  them  stooped  before  me,  and, 
fixing  myself  in  the  same  way,  I  followed  Mr.  N.  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  Mr.  A.  brought  up  the  rear.  Several  times  my  Indian 
slipped  on  the  smooth  stones,  and  I  expected  to  be  tumbled  headlong 
into  the  water. 

We  could  not  raise  our  feet  to  prevent  being  wet,  as  the  bearers' 
arms  were  clasped  around  our  ankles.  In  this  way  we  crossed  and 
recrossed  the  river  a  number  of  times,  following  up  the  stream,  climb- 
ing along  the  sides  of  almost  perpendicular  rocks,  stepping  on  the 
jutting  edges,  holding  on  by  the  bushes  and  crevices,  up  hill  and 
down,  through  brush,  mud,  sand,  &c.  Several  centipedes  were 
pointed  out  to  me  on  the  rocks  we  were  scaling,  and  I  was  warned* 
against  touching  them.  Their  bite  sometimes  proves  very  severe. 
They  much  resemble  a  caterpillar,  but  are  blacker,  with  a  greater 
number  of  legs.  After  three  or  four  miles,  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
cave,  which  was  across  the  river.  Arriving  opposite  to  it,  we  sat 
down  to  observe  and  admire  the  beautiful  scene. 

A  deep  gorge  separates  two  high  mountains,  once  evidently  united. 
Through  this  the  water  rushed  with  fearful  rapidity,  tearing  along,  as 
if  it  would  carry  everything  before  it.  Immense  rocks  had  been 
severed  and  hurled  out  from  the  mountain,  and  lay  scattered  along, 
for  some  distance  down  the  stream  ;  and  around  them  the  water  was 
dashing  and  foaming.  The  sides  of  the  cut  through  the  mountain 
were  nearly  perpendicular,  and  faced  with  an  almost  solid  mass  of 
stone,  with  ragged  and  jutting  angles,  and  resembling  a  kind  of  white 
marble.  About  one  third  of  the  distance  up  one  of  these  sides  could 
be  discerned  the  black  mouth  of  the  cave,  —  a  large  oval  doorway. 
After  in  vain  tryiug  to  get  across,  by  jumping  from  rock  to  rock,  we 
gave  that  up,  and  the  guides  brought  bamboo  poles  to  make  a  bridge. 
Two  or  three  of  these,  being  placed  together,  extended  from  one  rock 
to  another,  and  held  at  each  end,  by  good  balancing  we. passed  over, 


MANILLA. UNDERGROUND    EXPLORATIONS.  183 

holding  on  to  each  rock  till  the  bridge  was  transferred  to  the  next 
beyond.  In  an  hour  we  were  safely  landed  on  the  other  side,  and 
clambered  up  to  the  cave. 

Aftor  rest  and  refreshment,  with  lighted  torches  we  commenced 
the  exploration.  The  entrance  was  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high.  We 
had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance,  when  one  of  the  guides  raised  a 
shout,  signifying  caution  on  our  part.  We  looked,  and  a  snake, 
several  feet  long,  ran  before  us.  I  sprang  forward  to  kill  it  with  my 
stick  ;  but,  recollecting  that  some  snakes  were  venomous,  I  desisted, 
and  the  Indians  did  not  seem  to  like  interfering  with  him,  but  let  him 
escape.  Soon  the  bats,  startled  by  the  lights,  flew  about  as  thick  as 
mosquitoes,  hitting  us  with  their  wings.  Their  numbers  were  aston- 
ishing. Above,  the  wall  was  literally  blackened  with  them.  We 
moved  along  slowly,  looking  on  every  side,  and  above  and  below, 
inserting  our  canes  in  every  nook  and  corner  :  now  over  masses  of 
large  rough  rocks,  and  then  stooping  and  crouching  beneath  such. 
We  felt  our  way  with  our  long  sticks  stretched  out  ahead,  and  meas- 
ured the  depths  of  mud  and  of  water  before  our  feet.  Several  times 
we  thought  we  had  come  to  the  end,  but,  thrusting  our  sticks  ahead, 
there  was  more  space  beyond.  There  was  a  great  sameness  in  the 
passage,  which  was  generally  oval,  like  the  letter  D,  with  rough  sides, 
and  a  variable  roof,  dripping  with  white,  sparkling  stalactites.  Some- 
times it  appeared  to  be  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  and  at  others  not 
more  than  four  or  five.  Several  times  our  torches  were  extinguished 
by  the  water  dropping  from  above  ;  but  we  had  a  good  supply  of  fresh 
torches,  candles  and  matches,  besides  the  other  things  necessary  to 
our  comfort. 

After  travelling  tinder  ground  for  more  than  an  hour,  the  question 
was  proposed,  "  Whether  we  had  not  gone  far  enough?"  "The 
further  we  went  the  narrower  it  became."  But  all  were  "  for  the 
end,"  which,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  we  reached.  It  was  simply 
narrowed  down  to  a  small  aperture  of  ten  or  twelve  inches,  through 
which  the  stream  of  water  emptied  into  a  natural  basin.  I  supposed 
the  cave  to  be  considerably  less  than  a  mile  long,  but  my  companions 
believed  it  to  be  more  than  a  mile. 

Our  curiosity  being  satisfied,  having  realized  much  less  of  the 
beautiful  than  we  had  anticipated,  and  the  air  being  damp  and  chill, 
we  willingly  turned  our  footsteps  towards  the  entrance.  We  had  seen 
its  end,  which  Mr.  N.  believed  had  not  been  done  before,  though  it 
may  have  been,  as  there  are  no  real  difficulties  in  the  way.  As  we 
made  our  way  back,  we  looked  into  some  short  branch  passages,  where 
we  were  halt-smothered  by  the  bats ;  and  we  gathered  some  of  the 
stalactites,  —  the  petrified  drippings  which  hung  like  icicles  from  the 
roof.  Mr.  A.  fired  his  pistol  inside  the  cave,  and  it  reverberated  with 
a  tremendous  concussion.  One  of  the  Indians  had  built  a  fire  at  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  the  smoke  of  which,  blowing  in,  half-suffocated  us 
before  we  emerged,  and,  getting  into  our  eyes,  almost  prevented  our 
seeing.  We  were  some  alarmed,  for,  at  first,  we  could  not  tell  how 
far  we  were  from  the  outlet ;  and  were  heartily  relieved  in  both  mind 
and  body  when,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  we  reached  it.  Having 


184  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

refreshed  ourselves  with  a  lunch,  we  set  off  at  once,  and  arrived  home 
about  dark.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

LETTER.  —  CASINO. SECOND   EXCURSION   TO  A  VOLCANO.  —  INDIAN  TOWN. 

TOWN-HALL,   OR   COUNCIL-HOUSE. INDIAN   CEREMONIES.  —  VOLCANO 

VIEW  BY  NIGHT,   ETC. 

LETTER  TO   A   BROTHER. 
Manilla,  Philippine  Islands,  Monday,  Jan.  1st,  18-19. 

DEAR  BROTHER  A.  :  For  the  present,  I  will  continue  to  write  you 
some  of  my  notings  in  this  quarter  of  the  globe,  in  journal  form. 
As  I  have  not  time  to  write  both  letters  and  journals,  I  presume 
you  will  excuse  it.  I  have  given  up  my  boarding-house  at  Dona 
Agipita's,  and  returned  to  the  hotel.  I  found  it  was  of  little  advan- 
tage to  me,  in  learning  Spanish,  to  remain  there  ;  although  the  Dona 
was  very  pleasant  towards  me,  yet  I  saw  her  seldom  ;  and,  yet 
expecting  to  stay  but  a  few  weeks,  I  could  not  make  myself  contented. 
The  rooms  were  large,  airy  and  clean,  with  good  furniture  and  waxed 
floors,  mosquito-nets,  and  well-behaved  Indian  servants,  and  the 
charges  were  the  same  as  at  the  hotel ;  but  every  dish  of  food  was 
strong  of  garlic,  which,  to  my  unaccustomed  taste,  was  a  great  objec- 
tion. 

A  wealthy  Chinese  merchant,  a  convert  to  the  Catholic  faith,  and 
whose  house  is  in  sight,  has  been  making  merry  with  his  friends  all 
day.  Their  Chinese  music  assails  our  ears  at  all  times  of  the  day  and 
night.  In  the  eve  went  with  Mr.  N.  to  the  Casino,  calling  on  Senor 
Abeytua  on  the  way.  The  Casino  is  a  place  where  Spanish  ladies  and 
gentlemen  once  a  month  hold  an  assembly.  Foreigners  here  also 
join  ;  and  strangers  generally  receive  invitations  to  visit  them.  I  was 
kindly  presented  with  a  ticket  by  an  American  house.  It  is  held 
within  the  city,  in  a  large  hall  set  apart  for  the  purpose.  A  fine  band 
of  music  is  stationed  at  one  end  of  the  hall.  Sometimes  they  have  a 
concert,  and  sometimes  a  play  or  comedy,  in  which  the  members  take 
part.  Usually,  although  the  floor  is  carpeted,  there  is,  after  the  first 
part  of  the  evening,  waltzing  and  cotillons.  There  is  another  room, 
of  the  same  size,  parallel  with  this,  where,  in  the  intervals  of  dancing, 
those  who  choose  to  can  promenade.  I  did  not  join  in  the  amuse- 
ments,—  acting  the  idle  spectator.  The  governor,  a  fine-looking 
man,  with  gray  hair,  reminded  me  much  of  the  portraits  of  Washing- 
ton. He,  with  his  wife  and  her  sister,  promenaded  up  and  down  the 
rooms  for  a  considerable  time,  and  several  very  pretty  ladies,  hand- 
somely dressed,  followed  in  their  wake.  Dancing  continued  till  paet 
eleven. 


MAXILLA. SECOND    VOLCANIC    EXCURSION.  185 

Tuesday,  January  2d. —  Mr.  A.  and  I  rode  out  after  dinner  with 
Mr.  Moorhouse,  and  other  English  merchants,  taking  our  course 
through  different  streets,  and  surveying  various  portions  of  the  city  ; 
and  in  the  eve  we  took  our  own  carriage,  and  went,  with  other  friends, 
to  a  feast.  After  wandering  among  the  various  groups  of  people  there 
assembled,  we  called  at  Senor  B.'s,  where  we  enjoyed  music  and  waltz- 
ing. One  band  played  in  the  passage-way  of  the  house  ;  and,  soon 
after,  another  came  and  played  beneath  the  windows,  —  each  alter- 
nately with  the  other.  We  returned  to  the  feast,  where  we  remained 
an  hour,  and  returned  home  at  eleven. 

Wednesday,  January  3d.  —  I  called,  to-day,  with  Mr.  N.,  on  a 
French  physician,  who  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  here  ;  but, 
the  authorities  interfering,  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  it,  and  opened 
a  book-store,  in  which  he  has  amassed  a  little  fortune,  and  is  about  to 
remove  with  it  to  his  native  France. 

Thursday,  January  \lh.  —  I  called,  professionally,  to  see  Dona  M., 
having  previously  made  her  several  visits.  We  are  hardly  able  to 
converse  otherwise  than  by  signs.  Her  daughter,  a  pretty  young 
lady,  came  in,  followed  by  a  servant  with  a  harp,  and  regaled  us  with 
some  fine  playing. 

Friday,  January  5th.  —  In  my  visit  to  Dona  M.  to-day,  we  found 
considerable  difficulty  in  communicating ;  and,  after  a  half-hour  of 
signs  and  misunderstandings,  she  sent  below  to  Mr.  W.,  the  English 
vice-consul,  who  came  up,  and,  interpreting,  set  us  aright.  She 
expressed  her  satisfaction  for  the  improvement  which  she  experienced, 
and  was  in  such  an  overflow  of  good  spirits  that  she  joined  her  daugh- 
ter, and  sang  to  the  harp. 

At  the  hotel,  to-day,  we  were  discussing,  with  different  parties,  our 
late  volcano  excursion  ;  when,  warmed  with  our  old  enthusiasm,  and  for 
the  doubts  expressed  of  our  first  trip,  we  entered  into  a  league  to  start 
to-day,  and  accomplish  a  second  journey  there  and  back,  within  three 
days.  One  principal  attraction  to  Mr.  A.  and  myself  was  to  have  a 
view  of  the  scene  by  night.  In  half  an  hour  our  plans  were  matured. 
We  were  to  take  a  carriage,  travelling  all  night,  with  changes  of 
horses,  to  Columbo,  in  that  way  avoiding  the  delays  at  the  lagunas, 
and  make  the  remainder  of  the  route  on  horseback.  A  serious  obsta- 
cle seemed  to  be  that  passports  cjuld  not  be  procured  under  three  or 
four  days  ;  but  our  companions'  time  was  limited,  and,  as  we  consid- 
ered ourselves  all  well-disposed  people,  we  thought  we  would  trust  to 
the  leniency  of  the  Spanish  rulers,  and  go  without ;  though  we  heard 
that  a  party  we  had  met  at  the  lagunas  had  been  fined  for  trans- 
gressing the  bounds  of  their  passports,  and  that  the  same  course  waa 
to  be  pursued  with  some  others,  —  intimations  being  made  that  we 
were  to  be  the  ones. 

Dinner  being  over,  our  carriage  was  at  the  door.  Our  box  of  pro- 
visions, lantern,  blankets,  a  large  coil  of  rope  by  which  to  descend  the 
crater,  and  other  things,  were  packed  inside,  and  four  saddles  and 
bridles,  and  a  trunk,  were  fastened  on  behind.  Loario,  who  had  been 
with  us  before,  and  an  Indian  barber,  were  to  accompany  us  on  horse- 
back. Senor  Abeytua,  the  only  oae  of  our  party  who  spoke  Spanish, 
10* 


186  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

•was  to  be  the  director  of  the  expedition.  Having  seen  that  everything 
was  in  order,  Sefior  Abeytua,  Captain  Grey,  Mr.  Alexander  and 
myself,  took  our  seats,  squeezing  into  the  smallest  possible  space 
among  our  goods.  The  postilion  mounted  his  left  horse,  and,  with 
three  cheers  from  our  friends  of  the  hotel,  we  rattled  over  the  flat 
pavements  of  the  court  into  the  street,  the  two  servants  on  horseback 
following  behind.  Crossing  the  river,  we  passed  the  large  avenue  of 
the  Calzada  into  the  country.  Finding  that,  by  some  mistake,  we  had 
taken  the  wrong  road,  we  returned  to  the  Calzada,  and  entered  the 
right  one.  The  postilion,  according  to  his  directions,  drove  with 
speed,  and  we  soon  came  to  a  town  five  miles  out,  where  we  stopped 
to  let  the  horses  breathe,  and  got  out  to  straighten  our  limbs,  for  we 
were  much  cramped  up  with  our  baggage.  Mr.  A.  gave  some  direc- 
tions to  the  barber  servant  about  looking  after  the  things  behind, 
enforcing  his  injunctions  by  taking  his  pistol  from  his  pocket.  The 
poor  barber  thought  he  was  to  be  immediately  shot,  and,  dropping  on 
his  knees,  begged  for  his  life,  crying  like  a  child,  and  entreated  leave 
to  return  home.  He  was  readily  pacified,  assurance  being  given  that 
he  was  not  to  be  hurt. 

We  went  on  to  San  Pedro  Macati.  I  had  endeavored  all  the  way 
to  convince  my  companions  that  we  were  on  the  wrong  road  ;  and 
here  we  ascertained  that  this  road  had  been  made  impassable  by  the 
late  rains,  and  the  bridges  washed  away.  They  told  us  that  we  must 
return  to  Manilla  and  take  another  road.  This  all  refused  to  do,  but 
determined  to  keep  the  carriage  as  far  as  we  could,  and  then  take  such 
conveyances  as  should  offer.  We  followed  the  bank  of  the  river  a 
short  distance,  until  the  road  terminated  with  the  water,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  stop.  Fortunately,  canoes  were  to  be  had  ;  our  baggage 
was  transferred  to  them,  the  carriage  sent  back,  and  we  went  on. 

Arriving  at  the  head  of  the  lagunas,  we  changed  again  for  a  sailing 
prow.  The  Indians,  as  usual,  could  not  see  any  use  in  hurrying,  and 
it  was  only  by  scolding  and  threatening  that  they  were  not  two  or 
three  hours  in  simply  preparing  to  sail.  As  it  was,  we  had  to  pitch 
the  things  and  crew  on  board,  and  push  the  prow  from  her  fasten- 
ings. With  a  fine  breeze,  we  then  skimmed  rapidly  over  the  water. 
We  were  indebted  to  Senor  A.  for  the  luxury  of  mattresses  and  pillows, 
which  he  took  without  asking  from  the  house  of  our  Indian  boatman. 
We  partook  of  a  lunch  from  our  provisions,  by  the  light  of  the  lan- 
tern, with  good  appetites,  and  lay  down  on  our  beds  by  twos,  occu- 
pying all  the  room  the  boat  could  afford,  where  we  talked,  laughed 
and  joked,  till  midnight.  The  deep  breathings  soon  denoted  that  the 
others  were  asleep,  while  I,  unable  to  sleep,  lay  awake  for  hours  more, 
revolving  in  my  mind  how  to  expedite  our  affairs  after  this  twenty-five 
or  thirty  miles  which  we  had  expected  to  avoid  should  be  passed  over. 

Yours,  truly,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER    TO    BROTHER  J. 

Manilla,  January  6<A. 

DEAR  BROTHER  J. :  I  will  resume  to  you  the  description  of  our 
second  trip  to  the  volcano. 


MANILLA. INSTALLING    A   CAKTAN.  187 

At  nine  this  forenoon  we  had  crossed  the  lagunas,  and  landed  at 
Columbo.  We  went  at  once  to  the  house  of  the  Teni-en-te  where  we 
were  quartered  on  the  previous  occasion.  The  old  Indian  recollected 
us,  and  was  glad  to  see  us  again.  As  my  companions  did  not  like  to 
leave  without  a  good  breakfast,  to  sustain  themselves  under  the  fatigue 
of  a  long  ride  on  horseback,  we  remained  and  had  one  provided. 
Leaving  the  barber  in  care  of  the  baggage  we  did  not  wish  to  take 
with  us,  we  started  under  loads  of  saddles,  &c.,  for  the  capitan,  two 
miles  distant.  We  found  the  house  easily,  but  no  capitan  ;  the  house 
was  vacated,  and  another  delay  awaited  us.  We  proceeded  through 
the  village  of  bamboo  houses,  and  found  them  all  deserted.  Arriving 
at  the  Catholic  church,  we  discovered  the  inhabitants  all  inside.  Not 
wishing  to  disturb  them,  we  drew  off  to  a  bamboo  structure  near  by, 
which  proved  to  be  the  town-house.  On  inquiry  of  an  Indian  guard 
there,  we  learned  that  the  capitan  was  in  the  church  ;  that  it  was 
election  day,  and  that  a  new  capitan  was  being  installed  in  office. 
We  therefore  waited  his  appearance. 

The  town-house  was  built  entirely  of  bamboo,  one  story  high, 
reminding  one  of  a  large  bird-cage.  It  was  divided  into  three  rooms  — 
the  council-chamber,  the  public  spectators'  room,  and  a  prison.  Thia 
last  contained  eight  or  ten  culprits  in  chains,  with  a  guard  armed  with 
a  spear  stationed  over  them. 

The  spectators'  room  had  a  few  bamboo  benches  around  the  wall,  on 
which  we  reclined,  taking  all  the  comfort  possible  on  such  hard  sticks. 
A  flight  of  steps,  half  stairs  and  half  ladder,  led  up  from  the  ground  to 
the  entrance  of  the  house.  The  council-room  contained  only  benches 
and  a  table. 

We  waited  half  an  hour,  when  we  saw  a  swarm  of  Indian  girls  and 
women  pouring  out  of  the  church.  All  wore  white  veils  of  muslin,  or 
handkerchiefs  of  pi-nia,  or  cotton,  on  their  heads,  and  their  dresses 
were  mostly  of  bright  checked  calico.  One  of  our  companions,  full 
of  fun  and  merriment,  went  out  and  joined  the  throng.  He  took  up 
one  of  the  little  girls  and  walked  with  it  in  his  arms,  fondling  and 
caressing  it,  as  much  to  their  amusement  as  to  ours.  Some  of  them 
had  very  pretty  features,  with  jet-black  hair  ;  and  nearly  all  had 
handsome  natural  forms. 

After  the  females,  the  males  made  their  appearance,  marching  in 
procession,  headed  by  their  native  band  of  music,  out  of  the  church. 
They  stepped  slowly,  in  measured  paces,  with  solemn  countenances. 
Our  comical  companion's  attention  was  now  directed  towards  them. 
He  put  down  the  little  girl,  went  back,  and  joined  the  two  forward 
ones,  who  proved  to  be  the  new  capitan  and  the  ex-capitan,  and 
marched  by  their  side,  keeping  step,  and  making  sideway  motions  with 
his  head.  We  were  somewhat  fearful  they  would  construe  his  actions 
as  an  attempt  to  ridicule  their  ceremonies.  They  at  first  looked 
as  if  they  did  not  know  how  to  regard  it ;  directly  their  Indian  gravity 
relaxed,  and  they  smiled,  and,  finally  laughing,  seemed  amused  with 
his  oddities.  They  wore  striped  pants,  and  short  white  shirts  out- 
side, with  ornamental  figures  worked  on  them.  The  procession  passed 
to  the  gate  of  the  town-house  where  we  were  standing,  and  halted. 
They  lookod  at  us  inquiringly  for  a  few  moments,  as  if  wondering  wha.' 


188  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

four  Europeans  could  be  doing  here.  The  request  for  horses,  &c.,  was 
made  ;  but  before  attending  to  this,  they  had  to  finish  their  own 
affairs.  The  band  now  played  a  lively  tune,  and  the  chiefs  marched 
into  the  house ;  meantime  our  friend  set  himself  to  dancing  a  jig,  which 
amused  them  much.  The  capitans  and  their  principals  now  engaged 
in  some  business  affairs  in  the  council-room,  and  we  went  in  and 
looked  on.  Some  papers  and  documents  were  read,  and  some  short 
speeches  were  made.  We  could  not  understand  what  it  was  about ; 
but  the  Indian  spectators  present  were  evidently  much  interested,  for 
the  bamboo  floor  in  the  spectators'  room  began  to  crack,  and  give 
way,  from  the  accumulated  weight  of  those  coming  in.  In  an  hour 
their  deliberations  were  over,  and  they  came  out  with  an  air  of  satis- 
faction on  their  countenances,  indicating  that  they  thought  they  had 
performed  some  important  business. 

The  capitan  and  his  assistants  now  gave  their  attention  to  us,  and 
despatched  men  after  horses,  to  get  which  required  considerable  time. 

It  was  near  noon  when  our  little  cavalcade  of  seven  galloped  out  of 
Columbo,  more  swiftly  than  usual,  hoping  to  make  up  for  lost  time. 
The  first  part  of  our  way,  on  leaving  the  town,  led  over  the  miserable 
road  which  we  had  so  lately  travelled  in  the  night.  The  mud  was,  if 
possible,  deeper  than  before,  and  our  raw-boned,  dwarf-sized  ponies 
would  frequently  sink  into  the  mire,  and  come  to  a  stop,  extricating 
themselves  with  difficulty,  sometimes  not  till  after  several  trials.  We 
had  about  ten  miles  of  this  mud  to  go  through.  At  one  place  our 
friend  A.  came  to  a  halt,  his  horse  sinking  in  the  mud,  when,  thinking 
to  relieve  his  beast,  he  jumped  off,  and  sank  himself  in  the  mud  to  his 
chest.  We  had  a  hearty  laugh  at  his  expense.  He  said  he  consid- 
ered it  fortunate  that  he  held  on  to  the  reins,  as,  without  this  pre- 
caution, he  might  have  passed  out  of  sight. 

We  pushed  on,  as  fast  as  we  could  urge  our  horses  through  such  a 
road,  across  which,  much  of  the  way,  logs  of  wood  about  a  foot  apart 
were  lying.  Between  these  were  holes,  and  the  horses'  feet  would 
sometimes  strike  on  the  logs,  and  again  between,  stumbling  and  pitch- 
ing, somewhat  to  the  risk  of  the  rider's  neck. 

After  the  first  ten  miles,  the  road  became  better,  and  we  urged  our 
ponies  faster,  splashing  on  through  mud  and  water,  covering  horse  and 
rider  with  it,  till  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  our  particular  Indian 
friends,  at  the  place  called  Tanauan  where  we  changed  horses,  took 
a  lunch,  and  engaged  a  prow  of  an  old  Indian  whom  we  met  here,  and 
who  lived  on  the  margin  of  the  lake.  Our  friends  treated  us  very 
hospitably,  saying  nothing  this  time  about  the  passports. 

We  were  soon  under  way  again,  the  old  Indian  piloting  us.  He 
was  a  large  man,  and  must  have  weighed  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  ;  yet  he  galloped  as  fast  as  any  of  us.  It  came  on  to  rain 
quite  hard,  and  we  stopped  a  few  minutes  at  an  Indian  house  near 
Taal  Lake,  and  the  only  habitation  in  that  vicinity.  Here  we  asked 
for  some  water  to  drink,  and  they  handed  us  a  long  bamboo,  eight  or 
nine  feet  in  length,  which  stood  against  the  house.  This  was  made  by 
cutting  a  bamboo  off  below  a  joint  where  it  makes  a  thin  partition 
inside,  and  breaking  out  the  remaining  partitions. 


MANILLA. AGAIN   AT   THE   VOLCANO.  189 

"  What !  "  said  the  captain,  "  do  you  drink  out  of  that  big  pole  ? 
Why,  you  want  one  of  those  Indians  to  hold  one  end.  I  don't  believe 
I  can  manage  it,  but  I  rather  think  I  can  get  the  water  if  it  is  there." 

He  placed  it  to  his  lips,  and,  raising  the  other  end  too  high,  the 
contents  came  pouring  into  his  face. 

"  Thunder  and  zounds !  "  said  he,  putting  down  the  bamboo, 
"  there  is  water  enough  there,  and  I  believe  I  got  it  all,  but  none  of 
it  in  my  mouth.  I  had  rather  put  my  head  in  the  lake  to  drink." 

We  all  drank,  —  the  captain  succeeding,  after  a  little  practice,— 
and  placed  the  bamboo  up  against  the  house,  leaving  it  for  further  use. 

We  followed  our  Indian  leader  to  a  different  part  of  the  lake  from 
the  one  we  before  reached.  Winding  around  by  the  edge  of  the  water 
to  where  we  supposed  we  were  to  take  the  prow,  we  went  on,  and  on, 
till  it  seemed  as  if  there  was  to  be  no  end  to  the  road.  More  than  a 
dozen  times  I  said  to  myself  "  That  must  be  the  place  ;  "  but  on  the 
old  Indian  went,  and  on  we  followed.  Every  turn  we  made  towards 
Taal  Lake  I  thought  was  the  last.  Once  the  road  had  contracted  to 
a  narrow  path,  which  I  could  perceive  led  directly  into  the  lake. 
"  Well,  now,"  said  I  to  myself,  "  I  am  not  mistaken  this  time,  and 
here  is  the  spot  for  us  to  embark  ;  this  is  the  end  of  the  road,  there  is 
the  water  twenty  rods  before  us,  and  there  is  the  canoe  !  "  I  let  my 
horse  slacken  his  pace,  to  discover  where  we  were  to  turn,  as  I  saw 
them  within  a  few  feet  of  the  water,  and  thought,  "  You'll  have  to 
turn  quick,  old  fellow,  or  you  will  be  in  the  lake  !  "  And  sure  enough 
into  the  lake  the  old  Indian  dashed,  and  on  dashed  Alexander  and 
Abeytua.  I  followed,  and  Captain  Grey  dashed  on  after  us,  as  if 
determined  to  follow,  though  we  should  go  to  perdition.  The  water 
was  shallow,  and  we  rode  galloping  near  the  shore,  the  horses  splash- 
ing a  shower  of  water  over  us.  About  two  hours'  ride  brought  us  to 
the  boatman's  house,  where  we  could  get  off  our  horses ;  but  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  we  could  move  after  we  were  off. 

It  was  now  evening.  We  crawled  into  the  house,  and  experienced 
true  bliss  when  we  found  ourselves  stretched  on  the  floor  for  a  little 
repose,  while  a  dozen  Indians  stood  around,  gazing  at  us.  Resting  for 
ten  minutes,  we  were  ready  to  start ;  but  the  old  fellow's  prow  was 
away,  and  we  had  to  wait  till  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  ;  when, 
declaring  we  would  wait  no  longer,  we  took  up  with  two  small  canoes. 
After  paddling  across,  and  around  to  the  other  side  of  the  island, 
landing,  and  climbing  the  mountain,  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  we 
stood  on  the  brink  of  the  crater,  looking  into  its  depths  below.  The 
circular  outline  seemed  smaller  and  more  contracted  than  in  the  day- 
time ;  and  from  the  centre  of  the  dark  abyss  poured  out  and  upward 
huge  volumes  of  fire  and  smoke,  apparently  not  a  hundred  yards  from 
us,  though  in  reality  much  more.  The  fire  was  not  so  bright  as  we 
expected,  and  was  only  distinctly  visible  as  in  convulsive  throbs  the 
accumulated  gas  was  belched  forth  from  the  mouth  of  the  conical 
chimney,  when  there  could  be  seen  a  lurid  glow,  veiled  by  a  body  of 
reddened  steam  and  smoke  ;  but  a  volcano  must  be  seen  to  get  a  just 
appreciation  of  it,  for  lifeless  words  cannot  convey  a  correct  idea  of 
such  a  scene.  The  sulphur  lake  showed  itself  like  a  bed  of  silver, 


190  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

melted  and  cooled.  The  red  streaks  coursing  down  the  outside  of  the 
chimney  were  only  to  be  seen  by  the  reflected  light  of  the  fire  within  ;  the 
interior  of  the  crater  had  a  reddish  glare  on  its  lower  parts  and  sides, 
which  likened  it,  in  imagination,  to  Hades  itself;  and  the  whole  pre- 
sented a  truly  grand  yet  awful  appearance.  Seiior  A.  cautiously  ap- 
proached to  within  a  few  feet  of  us,  peeped  in  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then 
crouched  back  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  seating  himself  a  few  yarda 
below  us.  He  said  he  had  seen  enough,  did  not  like  to  remain  in 
such  a  dangerous  place,  and  wished  us  to  go.  He  thought  it  very 
strange  that  we  should  wish  to  look  more  than  a  minute  into  such  a 
"  hellish"  scene,  telling  some  of  our  party  that  they  were  fools  for 
trusting  themselves  so  near  its  edge.  Finally  he  said,  if  we  would 
stay  in  such  a  horrid  place,  he  would  not ;  and  he  left  us,  making  his 
way  down  the  mountain. 

The  wind  taking  different  directions,  we  were  frequently  obliged  to 
change  our  positions  to  escape  the  sulphurous  gas,  which  rose  in 
great  quantities,  and  rendered  the  air  almost  strangulating.  Sometimes 
we  were  forced  to  retreat  precipitately  below  the  surface  outside. 

We  had  brought  a  coil  of  rope  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  descent 
in  the  daytime  ;  but  our  several  delays  had  prevented  our  reaching 
here  in  season,  and  the  only  alternative  left  us  was  to  make  the 
attempt  by  night.  Selecting  a  place  where  there  was  an  inclination 
of  the  walls,  the  end  of  the  rope  was  made  fast  to  a  lava  rock, 
and  guarded  by  Mr.  A.  Theu  taking  the  rope  in  our  hands,  Capt. 
G.  went  ahead,  and  I  followed.  We  slowly  let  ourselves  down,  taking 
care  to  avoid  sharp  stones  for  the  rope  to  grind  upon  behind  us.  For 
the  first  part  we  descended  very  comfortably,  holding  by  our  feet  on 
any  roughness  which  might  present,  and  making  short  slidings  and 
restings,  to  see  where  we  were  to  come  next.  We  were  hardly  out  of 
sight  of  our  friend  at  the  top,  when  we  came  to  a  place  where  we 
could  neither  see  nor  feel  any  foothold  ;  nor  could  we,  by  rattling  down 
pebbles,  hear  them  strike  anything  below  to  which  we  might  swing 
ourselves  :  it  seemed  almost  folly  to  try  to  go  any  further.  We  waited 
to  see  if  "  old  volcano  "  would  give  us  a  little  light ;  but  he  went  on 
puffing  and  blowing  with  his  usual  intervals,  not  caring  for  us  pigmies 
who  were  trying  to  scale  his  sides  ;  and  his  lurid  glare  would  not  illum- 
ine the  black  abyss  beneath.  As  neither  of  us  would  trust  our- 
selves where  we  could  not  see  any  hope  of  success,  we  turned  our  backs 
on  invisibility,  and,  drawing  ourselves  up,  sought  visibility  at  the 
surface,  our  companion  being  at  his  post  guarding  the  rope. 

We  were  much  disappointed,  and  I  proposed  returning  to  the  vil- 
lage, and,  sleeping  there,  make  the  descent  in  the  morning  ;  but  the 
others  thought  they  must  be  back  at  Manilla.  Concluding  that  if  we 
could  not  make  the  descent  inside  we  could  outside,  and  collecting  our 
apparatus,  we  descended,  with  the  aid  of  the  lantern,  to  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  where  we  found  our  friend,  Senor  A.,  rolled  up  in  his 
blanket  and  quietly  sleeping  on  the  ground,  which  was  well  warmed 
by  the  burning  fires  below.  The  servants  and  boatmen  also  were 
calmly  enjoying  their  sleep.  It  seemed  a  pity  to  disturb  them,  but  a 
few  hulloas  brought  them,  to  their  feet. 


MANILLA. SPANISH    PRONUNCIATION.  191 

"We  took  the  canoes  to  the  village  where  our  horses  were,  and  con- 
tinued on  our  way.  After  a  fatiguing  night's  ride,  with  no  particular 
incidents,  we  arrived,  at  two  P.  M.,  at  Culumbo,  where  we  stayed  till 
near  night.  Recrossing  the  lagunas  in  the  prow,  in  which  we  had 
no  shelter  from  the  damp  air  and  chilly  breeze  for  six  uncomfortable 
hours,  we  procured  canoes,  glided  rapidly  down  the  river,  and  landed 
at  Manilla  between  three  and  four  in  the  morning. 

It  was  not  yet  light  when  we  arrived,  the  hotel  was  shut  up,  and 
the  servants  asleep  ;  and,  to  disturb  no  one,  we  scaled  the  walls, 
climbing  ovgr  the  parapet  on  the  terrace.  Capt.  Bridges,  who  had 
risen  early  to  take  the  morning  air,  was  sitting  here  in  the  veranda  in 
a  loose  dress.  We  thought  he  was  a  ghost ;  and  he,  not  expecting  ua 
for  several  days  yet,  on  seeing  our  heads  appear  above  the  walls, 
thought  we  were  ghosts ;  and  so  it  was  a  ghostly  time  all  round. 

Yours,  &c.,  '  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

VISITS   TO   FAMILIES   OF   THE    SPANISH.  CIGARS    AND    SMOKING. FEAST 

OF  PANDACKAN. INCIDENTAL  DESCRIPTIONS. COUNTRY-SEAT  OF  DONA 

M ,  ETC. 

LETTER    TO    A    SISTER. 

Monday,  January  8th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  L.  F.  :  I  had  nearly  made  up  my  mind  to  leave  for 
Hong-Kong  with  Mr.  A.  to-morrow  ;  but,  from  the  solicitations  of 
some  patients,  I  have  decided  to  remain  for  a  couple  of  weeks  longer. 
In  one  of  my  visits  to-day  I  stopped  for  a  while,  practising  in  the  Span- 
ish language  with  the  family.  Mr.  W.,  who  had  interpreted  for  us, 
came  up  shortly  after  we  had  left,  saying  that  the  gentleman  who  had 
an  office  underneath  "  thought  there  was  considerable  noise  above  for 
a  physician."  We  had  been  engaged  in  the  pronunciation  of  both 
Spanish  and  English  ;  and,  in  the  different  trials  of  English  sounds, 
the  ladies  raised,  their  voices  considerably  above  the  natural  tones  ; 
and,  when  any  amusing  mistake  was  made,  it  ended  in  a  merry  laugh 
all  round.  Sometimes  the  Dona,  perceiving,  as  she  fancied,  where  the 
want  of  success  with  the  younger  ladies  lay,  thought  she  would  try  ; 
and,  failing  in  a  similar  way,  excited  laughter  anew.  They  wished  to 
know  how  I  pronounced  my  name,  as  they  disagreed  among  themselves 
about  it.  I  explained,  and  it  was  then  with  difficulty  that  they  could 
pronounce  it  right,  calling  it  Boul,  Bale,  and  Bal,  and  anything  but 
Ball.  They  told  me,  when  they  had  it  right,  that  we  pronounced 
differently  from  what  we  spelt ;  and  that,  according  to  my  pro- 
nunciation, it  ought  to  be  spelt  B-o-r-1.  1  could  but  admit  the 
justness  of  the  observation.  At  my  mistakes  they  did  not  laugh 


192  CIIINA    AND    MANILLA. 

beyond  an  occasional  smile,  which,  from  their  pretty  faces,  was  more 
agreeable  than  disagreeable.  But,  to  avoid  further  cause  for  remarks 
from  the  room  below,  my  stay  was  not  prolonged. 

In  the  evening  I  went  with  several  friends  to  the  feast  of  Qui-apo, 
and  afterwards  to  Seiior  B.'s,  where  there  was  music  and  dancing.  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  dancing  with  a  Spanish  lady  who  spoke  English 
• —  the  only  one  I  have  met  in  Manilla,  though  I  presume  there  are 
many.  There  were  two  bands,  one  inside  and  one  outside  the  house, 
besides  a  piano.  The  feast  of  this  evening  is  the  ninth  and  last  of  the 
new-year's  feasts,  but  probably  not  the  last  of  the  year. 

When  I  came  home  I  found  that  a  large  lizard  had  taken  possession 
of  my  table,  lying  quietly  on  it ;  but  he  quickly  vacated  it  and  escaped 
to  the  walls.  They  are  very  numerous,  but  harmless.  Frequently, 
as  I  sit  writing,  I  see  eight  or  ten  of  them  on  the  walls  of  the  room  ; 
and  often,  when  I  have  retired,  I  amuse  myself  by  watching  them  as 
they  chase  each  other  over  the  ceiling. 

Wednesday,  January  Wth.  —  I  have  forwarded  letters  home  by  Mr. 
Alexander,  who  leaves  for  Hong-Kong  to-day  in  a  Spanish  vessel. 
Several  of  us  went  down  the  harbor  and  on  board  to  see  him  off,  but, 
the  vessel  not  being  ready  to  sail,  we  returned  ashore.  I  have  had  a 
long  and  pleasant  chat  with  Mr.  Balfour,  an  American,  from  Charles- 
town,  who  has  been  residing  here  many  years.  After  dinner  we  rode 
over  the  Calzada,  and  then  to  Senor  A.'s,  and  spent  a  pleasant  evening 
with  the  ladies  in  music  and  dancing. 

Thursday,  January  1.1th.  —  In  one  of  my  visits  to-day,  the  daughter, 
Senorita  P.,  a  pretty  young  lady,  promised  to  teach  me  Spanish,  and 
I  to  reciprocate  by  teaching  her  English.  How  we  shall  succeed  can 
be  known,  I  suppose,  only  by  the  progress  we  make.  Towards  night 
I  rode  to  the  Calzada,  calling  in  and  looking  at  several  stores  on  the 
•way,  some  of  which  were  fine  and  handsome.  Then  we  went  to  the 
plaza,  or  public  square  within  the  fortifications,  and  joined  the  throng 
of  people  who  were  in  their  carriages,  drawn  up  and  listening  to  the 
military  bands  which  were  playing  in  front  of  the  governor-general's 
palace. 

Friday,  January  I2lh.  — Almost  every  one  here  smokes  cigars,  from 
the  wealthiest  to  the  poorest,  from  the  little  boy  to  the  old  man,  males 
and  females,  —  cigars  of  different  sizes,  strengths  and  qualities,  being 
adapted  to  the  various  tastes  and  means  of  the  consumers.  They  com- 
mence smoking  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and  it  is  the  last  thing 
at  night.  Every  morning,  at  the  hour  of  rising,  which  is  about  sun- 
rise, the  servant  brings  a  cup  of  chocolate  with  a  cigar  and  a  light 
fire,  and  places  them  on  a  little  table  by  the  bedside  ;  if  you  are  not 
awake  he  calls  you,  and  leaves  the  room. 

A  person  without  a  cigar  in  his  mouth  is  out  of  fashion.  The  little 
Indian  boys  will  run  along  by  the  side  of  carriages,  for  a  considerable 
distance,  with  burning  pieces  of  rope  in  their  hands,  offering  a  light, 
for  which  they  expect  a  small  coin  to  be  thrown  them.  They  seem  to 
take  it  for  granted,  when  they  see  a  gentleman  who  is  not  smoking, 
that  it  must  be  from  the  want  of  a  light,  and  they  hasten  up  at 
once  with  the  burning  ropes,  calling,  "  Fuego?  fuego  ?  "  The  Spanish 


MANILLA. CIGAR   MANUFACTORIES.  193 

ladies,  I  believe,  do  not  generally  smoke  ;  the  more  matronly  ones  I 
occasionally  see  smoking,  but  the  young  ladies  never.  It  seemed  strange 
at  first  to  have  a  Spanish  lady  offer  me  a  cigar  ;  and  especially  when, 
wishing  to  show  particular  attention  and  interest,  she  would  first 
light  it,  drawing  it  with  her  own  mouth.  To  refuse  it  would  be 
considered  an  offence  to  their  politeness.  The  Mestizos  ladies  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  streets  at  all  times  with  cigars  in  their  mouths.  The 
poorer  classes  among  the  Mestizos  and  Indians  smoke  cigarettas, 
which  are  made  of  tobacco  rolled  in  a  husk  or  leaf;  and  the  other 
classes  the  best  cheroots,  or  some  of  the  cheaper  qualities.  The  tobacco 
is  raised  here,  and  the  cheroots  are  made  in  the  government  manufac- 
tories. By  a  permit  from  the  authorities  we  visited  the  one  in  Ma- 
nilla, where  there  were  seven  thousand  Mustesoe  and  Indian  girls  at 
work.  It  was  quite  a  curiosity  to  walk  through  the  different  depart- 
ments, and  see  the  various  processes.  The  operatives  were  ranged  in 
rows,  seated  at  low  tables,  and  making  a  clatter  reminding  one  of  a 
factory.  The  operation  of  rolling  is  very  quickly  done.  The  girl 
takes  between  her  fingers  a  little  bunch  from  the  prepared  heap  of 
leaves,  places  it  on  the  flat  wrapper,  straightens  and  rolls  it,  and  then 
pastes  the  edge  and  cuts  off  the  ends.  The  making  of  the  boxes,  the 
packing,  papering,  lettering,  &c.,  is  all  done  here.  I  did  not  see  any 
opium  used,  yet  I  am  under  the  impression  that  in  the  cigars  of  the 
best  qualities  a  little  in  solution  (though  a  very  little,  it  may  be,  in 
each  cigar)  must  be  intermingled  to  give  the  peculiar  flavor,  and  render 
them  so  fascinating  to  those  who  give  them  the  preference  above  all 
others  for  smoking. 

Saturday,  January  13iA.  —  With  Senor  A.  and  others  I  attended  a 
feast  in  that  part  of  the  city  bordering  on  the  bay.  It  was  much  like 
all  the  others  —  a  great  crowd  of  people  moving  about  the  streets, 
going  in  and  coming  out  of  houses,  with  many  carriages,  &c.  In  the 
evening  I  went  over  to  the  opposite  part  of  the  plaza,  where  there  was 
to  be  a  celebration  by  the  soldiers  —  the  anniversary  of  some  battle  or 
massacre.  The  soldiers  paraded  in  a  procession  of  two  lines,  each  bear- 
ing a  lighted  candle.  They  marched  without  music,  with  a  slow  and 
mournful  tread,  and  as  they  entered  the  plaza  the  effect  was  very 
pretty  —  two  rows  of  moving  lights  encircling  the  square,  forming 
angles  here  and  there,  and  their  dark  forms  and  illuminated  faces  on 
a  darker  ground-work  gave  quite  an  air  of  solemnity  to  the  scene. 
Making  a  call  on  a  Spanish  family,  we  received  an  invitation  to  attend 
them  to-morrow,  in  the  country,  to  the  feast  of  Pandackan,  and  to  the 
baths.  Then,  returning  to  the  great  feast  of  the  afternoon,  we  spent 
the  remainder  of  the  evening  in  visiting  various  families,  who  made  us 
most  welcome  to  their  hospitalities  and  pleasures. 

Sunday,  January  \&h.  —  Senor  A.  called  this  morning,  at  six,  for 
us  to  go  to  the  feast  of  Pandackan.  He  went  with  Mr.  N.,  in  his 
carriage  ;  Captain  G.  with  me,  in  mine,  followed.  We  started  early, 
as  it  was  arranged  to  meet  a  party  at  the  bathing-places,  and  had  a 
fine  ride  in  the  cool  air  of  the  morning  five  or  six  miles,  through  a 
part  of  the  country  that  we  had  not  before  seen. 

These  feast-days  remind  me  of  our  old  May-election  days  in  Massa- 
17 


194  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

chusotts.  Everybody  seems  to  be  in  high  spirits.  The  streets  out  here 
were  thronged  with  human  beings,  many  of  whom  were  Indians ;  and 
every  fourth  or  fifth  man  we  met  had  a  fighting-cock  under  his  arm. 
Cock-fighting  is  the  great  amusement,  and  Sundays  and  feast-days  are 
the  principal  occasions  for  it.  We  saw  the  amphitheatre,  but  did  not 
think  it  of  sufficient  importance  to  call  there. 

The  Indians  in  the  morning  appear  in  nice,  clean,  white,  shirt-like 
frocks,  worn  outside,  but  by  night  they  are  so  soiled  as  to  lose  their 
attractiveness.  These  garments  are  of  cotton,  cambric,  or  muslin, 
and  wrought  with  various  figures.  Taking  a  canoe,  we  crossed  the 
river  to  a  village  a  little  way  up,  on  the  opposite  bank.  The  river 
was  filled  with  canoes,  laden  with  Spaniards,  Mestizos,  Indians,  and 
a  sprinkling  of  Europeans,  arriving  from  different  directions,  all  in 
pursuit,  I  suppose,  of  the  feast,  or  the  holiday  which  the  feast  caused. 

We  assembled  at  the  house  of  an  Indian  family  on  the  edge  of  the 
river,  where  we  met  our  friends  of  the  Spanish  family  from  Manilla. 
At  nine  we  had  a  breakfast  of  fried  eggs  and  meat,  bread,  fruits, 
chocolate,  &c.,  prepared  by  our  Indian  host.  Soon  after,  hearing 
music  and  the  firing  of  guns,  we  all  walked  to  the  church,  where  the 
procession  was  just  entering  ibr  mass.  The  image  of  Christ,  glittering 
and  sparkling  with  the  finery  and  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver  witli 
which  it  was  enveloped,  was  carried  on  a  platform  supported  on  the 
shoulders  of  four  men.  Four  others  held  a  white  canopy  on  gilded 
sticks  over  a  priest  walking  behind.  The  procession  was  preceded  by 
the  band,  and  two  rows  of  men  and  girls,  bearing  lighted  candles. 
Our  stay  in  the  church  was  only  a  few  minutes,  the  ceremonies  being 
like  those  we  had  seen  in  all  Catholic  churches. 

At  noon,  robed  in  our  bathing-dresses,  we  entered  the  baths,  —  a 
large  bamboo  enclosure,  covered,  and  leading  into  the  river  from  the 
house.  The  ladies  were  already  there,  enjoying,  with  merry  laughs 
and  acclamations,  the  refresning  element.  We  numbered  a  party  of 
about  ten.  The  weather  was  very  warm,  and  the  cooling  water  was 
most  grateful.  The  ladies  showed  themselves  to  be  excellent  swim- 
mers, superior,  if  anything,  to  the  gentlemen.  This  would  seem 
natural,  when  one  considers  that  it  is  their  custom  to  bathe  every 
day,  and  often  several  times  a  day.  After  an  hour  here,  all 
repaired  to  their  dressing-rooms,  and  soon  appeared  in  the  principal 
room  in  their  usual  attire.  During  the  afternoon  one  of  the  Spanish 
ladies  played  and  sung  to  us  with  the  harp.  We  promenaded  the 
streets  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  stopped  a  few  minutes  at  the  cock- 
fight, where  there  seemed  to  be  much  excitement  among  the  Indians. 
We  saw  two  fights,  and  two  of  the  combatants  killed.  In  the  evening 
we  walked  out  with  the  ladies  to  see  the  fireworks,  but  a  rain  com- 
mencing prevented  their  taking  place.  The  evening  continuing  dark 
and  rainy,  Captain  G.  and  I  returned  home,  leaving  our  companions 
still  remaining  there.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


MANILLA. LAMP    OF    THE   COUNTRY.  195 


LETTER   TO   A   SISTER. 

Manilla,  Monday,  January  15<&. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  L.  :  I  will  continue  my  journalizings  to  you,  if  you 
will  accept  them  for  such  as  they  are,  and  not  such  as  they  might  be. 

Towards  night  Captain  G.  invited  me  to  take  a  ride  with  him  ;  and 
where  did  he  go,  but  to  the  feast  of  Pandackan  ?  I  thought  we  had 
finished  that  yesterday ;  but  it  closes  to-night,  and  we  thought  we 
would  see  the  last  of  it.  We  there  met  two  other  parties  from  our 
hotel,  and  other  acquaintances.  I  also  saw  several  Spanish  families 
which  I  knew,  and  went  with  them  to  various  places.  Music,  feasting, 
illuminations,  dancing,  promenading  by  a  great  collection  of  people, 
&c.,  were  the  order  of  the  evening. 

Wednesday,  January  \lth.  —  Morning  and  evening,  when  inside  the 
mosquito-net,  are  the  only  times  we  can  be  really  free  from  the  mos- 
quitoes, especially  in  rainy  or  cloudy  weather.  At  these  times  I  do 
the  most  of  my  reading,  writing,  and  studying. 

In  our  rides  this  evening  we  called  with  Seiior  A.  on  the  senoritas, 
at  his  house.  They  were  at  home,  and  two  hours  glided  by  very 
pleasantly.  I  talked  all  the  Spanish  that  I  could  muster,  and  they 
inserted  what  I  omitted,  which,  I  presume,  was  at  least  two  thirds  ; 
but  they  were  willing,  for  the  amusement  which  it  afforded,  and  it 
seemed  mutually  to  be  so  considered.  Late  this  evening  the  mosqui- 
toes were  quite  furious,  and  they  imparted  a  similar  disposition  to 
me.  As  I  went  to  rise  quickly  from  iny  writing-table,  hitting  the 
lamp,  it  was  upset,  and  deluged  my  journal.  I  cleaned  it  up  as  well 
as  possible,  but  it  had  saturated  the  leaves.  I  remembered  the  words 
I  learned  when  a  little  boy,  "  Let  your  moderation  be  known  unto  all 
men  ;  "  but  I  thought  it  would  be  better  known  here  to  myself.  These 
lumps  are  open  tumblers,  two  thirds  filled  with  water,  covered  with 
cocoa-nut  or  pea-nut  oil  on  the  top.  The  wick  is  a  small  pith  from 
same  tree,  and  is  held  in  its  place  by  an  iron  spiral  wire,  bent,  with 
arms,  which  hang  on  the  edges  of  the  tumblers.  Then,  set  into  a 
plate,  it  constitutes  the  lamp. 

Hot  weather  reigns  here,  although  it  is  winter.  We  seek  for  cool 
places,  and  no  one  pretends  to  go  out  except  in  his  carriage,  and  then 
not  much  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  I  break  through  the  rules,  and 
go  out  when  I  like,  with  my  umbrella.  I  have  a  carriage,  but  1  pre- 
fer to  walk.  Vegetation  is  green  and  flourishing  the  year  round  ; 
fresh  fruits  are  seen  in  the  market  every  day  ;  and  lemons,  oranges, 
plantains,  guavas,  cocoa-nuts,  &c.  The  ladies  ride  in  open  carriages 
on  theCalzada,  without  anything  over  their  heads  but  parasols.  The 
Mustesoes  usually  wear  a  pinia  handkerchief  instead  of  a  bonnet. 
Children  about  the  streets  wear  very  little  clothing,  and  many  nothing 
at  all. 

The  people  of  Manilla  are  extremely  free  and  open-hearted  to  their 
acquaintances,  and  they  invite  strangers  with  as  much  cordiality  to 
their  hospitalities  as  if  they  had  always  known  them.  To-day,  in 
making  a  visitrl  found  the  family  at  dinner.  I  said  I  would  wait  in 
the  other  room.  The  Dona  urged  me  strongly  to  partake  with 


196  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

them.  On  declining,  she  insisted  that  I  should  sit  down  at  the  table, 
and  then  that  I  should  taste  from  her  own  spoon  or  knife  of  each  of 
the  many  dishes  that  were  served.  My  perceptions  were  not  so  deli- 
cate but  I  was  able  to  acquiesce.  The  house  was  large,  well  finished 
and  furnished,  and  two  stories  high.  Few  buildings,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  public  buildings,  nunneries,  &c.,  have  two  stories,  on 
account  of  earthquakes.  The  rooms  are  spacious  and  lofty,  the  floors 
of  hard  wood,  and,  waxed  every  day,  retain  a  beautiful  polish.  Under- 
neath is  an  arched  drive-way,  from  which  stairs  lead  up  to  the  upper 
rooms,  and  form  the  entrance  to  the  house.  In  the  rear  is  the  court, 
surrounded  by  other  buildings,  —  the  stable,  bath-house,  kitchen, 
servants'  rooms,  &c.  Light  and  airy  verandas  encircle  the  house  at 
the  second  story  on  three  sides.  The  basement,  or  first  story,  is  occu- 
pied for  offices. 

In  the  evening,  with  Mr.  N.,  I  attended  the  Casino,  which  was 
filled  to  overflowing  with  the  fashion  and  beauty  of  Manilla,  with  a 
few  strangers  interspersed.  After  a  comedy  and  a  few  songs  by  the 
amateur  performers,  dancing  commenced,  which  continued  till  twelve. 
At  the  close  I  could  not,  among  the  throng  of  -vehicles,  find  my  car- 
riage readily ;  and,  being  afraid  the  gates  of  the  fortifications  would 
be  shut,  I  went  without  it ;  but  a  Spanish  acquaintance  saw  me,  and 
took  me  home  in  his  —  many  thanks  for  his  politeness.  Half  an  hour 
afterwards  niy  carriage  came  in,  the  coachman  telling  me  he  had 
waited  till  all  were  gone. 

Sunday,  January  list.  —  I  rode  out  with  Mr.  N.  a  few  miles,  and 
passed  over  the  floating  bamboo  bridge.  This  is  constructed  of  braided 
strips  of  bamboo,  which  bend  and  creak  under  the  horses'  feet  and 
the  carriage  as  if  we  should  break  through  ;  but  it  is  considered  very 
strong.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  feast  of  San  Sebastian.  ^ 'e 
called  on  several  pleasant  Spanish  families,  and  were  made  most  wel- 
come. At  one  house  I  met  Dona  M.  and  daughters  and  others,  and 
had  an  agreeable  time.  The  Dona  introduced  me  to  her  daughter, 
Seiiora  C.,  whom  I  had  not  before  seen.  A  large  and  long  table  was 
loaded  with  luxuries  of  meats,  wines,  cakes,  fruits,  nuts,  chocolate, 
preserves,  &c.,  which  were  put  there  not  to  be  looked  at,  but  to  be 
eaten  ;  and  all  ate  as  though  they  were  not  afraid  to  eat,  and  as  if 
they  came  with  the  intention  of  eating.  I  am  very  sure  I  did  my 
part ;  and,  with  the  attentions  of  the  frank  and  generous  people,  it 
was  not  possible  for  one  who  entered  the  house  to  leave  hungry.  I 
noticed  butter  upon  the  table  here,  not  having  seen  it  but  once  before 
at  any  other  house.  I  think  the  people  rarely  eat  it.  While  here  I 

met  Mr. -,  whom  we  fell  in  with  at  the  lagunas,  and  who  gave 

us  much  information  about  the  volcano.  He  told  us  that,  since  he 
returned,  he  had  been  fined  fifteen  dollars  for  crossing  the  limits  of 
the  province  his  passport  stipulated.  We  remained  about  two  hours, 
enjoying  ourselves  every  moment.  I  talked  all  the  Spanish  I  knew, 
but  soon  got  through,  and  had  to  begin  over  again.  There  was  one 
little  girl  here  who  was  learning  English,  and  with  the  two  languages 
we  managed  to  get  along  together  quite  glibly. 

Saturday,  January  21th.  —  It  seems  to  be  so  arranged  that  when 


MANILLA.  A    COUNTRY-SEAT.  197 

there  is  a  feast  in  the  city  it  is  confined  to  a  particular  district  or 
ward,  and  only  that  portion  is  then  illuminated  for  the  occasion  ;  and 
the  feast  takes  the  name  of  the  ward, — as  San  Sebastian,  San  Miguel, 
&c.  After  one  is  over  another  commences  in  some  other  ward,  or 
district,  and  after  that  another,  and  so  on.  Where  they  end  I  do  not 
know. 

I  rode  with  a  party  of  friends  ten  or  twelve  miles,  to  San  Pedro. 
Called  there  upon  the  Indian  Captain  Synod  and  others,  and  was 
agreeably  entertained  with  the  harps,  pianos,  &c. 

After  dinner  Mr.  N.  called  with  me  at  Dofia  M.'s,  and  we  accom- 
panied the  family  out  to  their  country-seat,  a  few  miles  distant.  She 
and  her  daughter,  with  two  other  young  ladies,  went  in  their  carriage, 
with  postilions  and  footmen,  &c.,  and  we  in  ours.  The  place  was 
very  pretty,  —  a  large  house,  with  fine  verandas,  commanding  an 
extensive  and  interesting  view,  and  surrounded  by  a  garden  full  of 
plants,  flowers,  orange  and  lemon  trees,  guavas,  cocoa-nut,  betel-nut, 
&c.  The  betel-nut  tree  is  much  the  handsomest,  and  appears  like  the 
work  of  art.  A  delightful  fragrance  filled  the  air.  The  house  stands 
in  the  centre  of  the  grounds,  and  is  unoccupied  except  when  Dona  M. 
visits  it.  Convenient  bathing-rooms  are  attached  at  one  side,  and  the 
whole  is  enclosed  by  a  high  plastered  wall  of  stone. 

I  here  applied  the  lotion  which  they  had  brought  with  them  to 
the  eye  of  my  patient.  The  guava-tree,  from  which  came  the  cause 
of  the  affection,  was  pointed  out  to  me.  A  poisonous  insect,  six 
months  since,  had  flown  or  fallen  into  her  eye  while  she  was  standing 
under  the  tree,  which  caused  an  immediate  inflammation,  that  had 
assumed  a  chronic  form.  I  examined  the  leaves  and  branches  of  the 
tree,  but  could  discover  no  small  insects  there. 

On  our  return  we  all  went  into  the  San  Sebastian  church,  and 
attended  vespers.  The  people  were  constantly  going  in  and  out,  and, 
although  very  large,  the  church  would  contain,  at  one  time,  but  a 
small  proportion  of  those  who  frequented  it.  The  floor  up  to  the 
altar  was  filled  with  kneeling  devotees.  The  greater  part  were  ladies, 
and  the  beautiful  soft  pinia  veils  of  white,  contrasting  with  their 
rich  black  hair  and  brunette  faces,  gave  them  an  exceedingly  fasci- 
nating appearance.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

17* 


198  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

SAVAGES   AT   THE   THEATRE.  —  MARRIAGES.  —  DEPARTURE    FROM  MANILLA, 

ETC. 

LETTER  TO   SISTER-IN-LAW. 

Manilla,  January  28th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  A. :  In  my  visit  to  the  dona,  this  forenoon,  I 
found  only  herself,  the  family  having  gone  to  mass  at  the  church. 
When  they  returned,  each  one  entering  the  room  advanced  and  took 
her  hand,  kissing  the  back  of  it.  In  about  a  half  an  hour  they  went 
out  again,  each  performing  the  same  ceremony  before  leaving.  I  pre- 
sumed it  to  be  a  form  of  salutation,  of  affection  and  respect,  from  the 
younger  members  towards  the  oldest,  or  head  of  the  family. 

Monday,  January  2(Jth.  —  I  am  often  asked  why  I  do  not  go  to^the 
theatre  ot'tener,  and  why  I  refuse  such  invitations.  I  answer  that  I 
am  not  fond  of  it  except  as  an  occasional  thing.  It  is  dull  to  sit  and' 
look  on  without  understanding  the  language  well  enough  to  be  amused 
by  the  plays  ;  but  this  evening  there  was  a  new  attraction,  and  I  was 
induced  to  join  a  party  of  friends,  and  go.  A  party  of  savages,  who 
dwell  in  the  most  mountainous  parts  of  the  interior  of  the  island,  were 
to  appear.  They  were  all  chiefs,  —  a  deputation  of  forty  from  their 
tribes,  which  the  Spaniards  had  never  been  able  to  subdue,  on  ac- 
count of  the  difficulties  of  access  to  them.  Being  tired  of  constant 
warfare,  they  had  come  down  to  Manilla,  and  voluntarily  delivered 
themselves  up.  They  have  been  treated  very  kindly  by  the  authori- 
ties, who  have  taken  pains  to  show  them  their  arsenals,  fortifications, 
guns  and  weapons,  &c.,  that  they  might  be  impressed  with  their 
superior  power  ;  and,  at  the  request  of  the  authorities,  they  consented 
to  show  themselves  at  the  theatre. 

As  they  catne'on  the  stage  in  a  state  of  almost  nudity,  one  would 
not  have  to  be  told  that  they  were  savages.  They  were  the  largest 
and  fiercest  specimens  of  the  human  race  i  have  ever  seen.  They  were 
tall,  straight,  very  broad  across  the  shoulders,  with  full,  expanding 
chests,  large  frames,  with  well-developed  muscles,  and  very  symmetrical 
forms.  They  performed  several  of  their  dances,  which  were  anything 
but  dances ;  leaping  and  hopping,  with  violent  gestures,  and  wild 
contortions  of  the  face.  They,  however,  displayed  great  muscular 
power  and  energy.  Their  color  was  nearly  black,  —  and  their  hair 
black,  a  medium  between  the  curly  of  the  negro  and  straight  hair  of 
the  Indian. 

Tuesday,  January  30*A.  —  To-day  we  have  witnessed  a  review 
of  several  thousand  Spanish  and  Indian  troops.  In  the  evening,  Mr. 
N.  and  I  called  at*  Dona  M.'s,  listening  to  fine  music.  Mr.  N. 
examined  t!ie  heads  of  the  company  phrenologically,  which  created 


MANILLA. EARLY  MARRIAGE.  199 

much  amusement.  I  returned  home,  and  read  within  my  mosquito- 
net  till  twelve  ;  and  then,  pushing  the  lamp  away  from  the  curtains, 
watched  the  darting  lizards  on  the  walls  until  I  fell  asleep. 

Friday,  February  2d.  —  With  several  friends,  I  went  into  the 
country,  to  the  feast  of  San  Pedro  Macate.  We  had  a  delightful 
ride.  The  illuminations,  processions,  feastings,  music,  dancing,  &c., 
were  like  all  the  others. 

For  variety,  a  large  paper  balloon  was  made  to  ascend  by  combusti- 
ble materials  fastened  underneath.  The  amusements  closed  with  fire- 
works in  the  plaza,  the  last  of  which  represented  an  immense  bull 
galloping  back  and  forth,  spouting  fire  from  his  nostrils,  and  his 
whole  body  streaming  with  fire. 

Saturday,  February  Zd.  —  Doiia  M.  took  me  with  her  family  this 
evening  to  visit  her  son-in-law,  Col.  C.,  and  wife,  who  live  in  that 
part  of  the  city  within  the  fortifications.  The  colonel,  a  very  amiable 
gentleman,  did  his  best  to  make  me  speak  Spanish,  but  I  was  too  dull 
of  comprehension  to  make  much  headway.  On  our  return  we  called 
on  Senor  B.,  and  it  was  a  great  luxury  to  speak  English  with  him. 
He  had  lived  in  Calcutta,  and  spoke  English  perfectly. 

The  ladies  here  marry  very  young,  sixteen  to  twenty  being  the 
common  age,  and  often  fifteen  :  some  marry  at  fourteen,  occasionally 
one  at  thirteen,  and  in  rare  instances  they  marry  at  twelve  ;  but  these, 
I  believe,  are  mostly  among  the  Indians.  A  lady  of  my  acquaintance 
has  two  daughters,  one  thirteen,  and  the  other  fifteen,  and  she  is  not  yet 
twenty-nine.  The  daughter  of  thirteen,  I  am  told,  is  already  engaged. 
People  arrive  at  maturity  in  these  tropical  climates  much  sooner  than 
with  us. 

The  laws  respecting  marriage  differ  somewhat  from  ours.  The 
ceremony  must  be  performed  by  a  Catholic  priest.  If  done  by  a  Prot- 
estant, it  is  considered  null.  Before  a  Protestant  gentleman  can  marry 
a  Catholic  lady,  he  must  take  some  vows,  or  go  through  some  forms 
of  the  Catholic  religion.  In  such  cases,  they  are  married  first  by  the 
Catholic  priest,  and  then  by  the  Protestant  clergyman.  But  the 
Protestant  form  is  not  permitted  here,  and  after  the  Catholic  marriage 
the  parties  go  on  board  a  foreign  man-of-war  and  are  married  by  the 
chaplain  ;  or,  if  there  is  no  vessel  or  Protestant  clergyman,  they  go 
to  Hong-Kong,  or  some  other  place  where  Protestantism  is  tolerated. 

Sunday,  February  4th.  —  I  rode  with  Mr.  N.  into  the  country 
towards  Fonda.  Mr.  N.  had  late  English  papers,  in  which  was  an 
account  and  drawing  of  the  sea-serpent,  as  seen  by  the  officers  and 
crew  of  H.  B.  M.  ship  "  Daedalus."  We  discussed  the  subject  until 
the  bad  state  of  the  roads  compelled  us  to  turn  round,  in  doing  which 
the  coachman  nearly  tipped  us  off  backwards  over  a  bank,  and  the 
sea-serpent  story  was  driven  out  of  our  minds.  It  rained  most  of  the 
time  (it  being  the  rainy  season  here),  which  did  not  add  to  our  pleas- 
ure ;  but  the  air  was  much  cooled  and  purified  by  it. 

Monday,  February  5th.  —  To-day  I  had  a  pleasant  interview  with  a 
Roman  Catholic  priest,  who  has  been  living  at  the  hotel  for  a  week  or 
two  past.  He  has  a  fund  of  knowledge  on  almost  every  subject,  and  I 
have  had  many  interesting  chats  and  discussions  with  him.  He  haa 


200  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

travelled  a  great  deal  as  a  missionary,  speaks  six  or  seven  languages, 
and,  as  a  man  of  the  world,  has  all  the  angular  prejudices  of  home  or 
localism  rubbed  off.  He  rode  out  with  me  this  afternoon  to  the  Cal- 
cada,  and  afterwards  showed  me  over  the  Roman  Catholic  seminary. 
We  discussed  Catholicism,  republicanism,  &c.,  freely;  and,  like  all 
those  endless  subjects,  left  off  about  where  we  began.  He  took  me  to 
visit  a  brother  priest,  whom  he  wished  me  to  see  professionally,  —  of 
course  gratuitously,  —  in  which  I  was  very  willing  to  comply.  Ho 
has  declined  an  offer  of  the  president  of  the  seminary  here  for  the 
education  of  priests,  preferring  to  always  remain  in  the  capacity  of 
missionary.  He  is  going  to^  California,  where  he  wishes  me  to  accom- 
pany him. 

The  seminary  which  we  visited  is  very  large,  extending  over  an  area 
of  more  than  two  acres.  It  comprises  the  unadorned  and  almost 
unfurnished  rooms  of  the  padres,  gloomy  cells  of  the  student-priests,  a 
fine  cathedral,  and  soldiers'  barracks.  TJie  building  reminded  me  of 
ancient  convents  of  which  I  had  read,  —  long  halls,  winding-stairs, 
rows  of  rooms,  all  in  solid  brick  and  stone,  dark,  damp,  and  cheerless. 

Saturday,  February  \lth.  —  I  rode  into  the  city  after  breakfast,  and 
visited  with  Senor  Philippi  the  college  or  convent  of  St.  Dominique. 
In  our  ride  after  dinner  on  the  Calzada  I  had  a  chat  with  Mr.  N. 
upon  cocoa-nut  plantations.  Great  profits  are  said  to  be  realized  by 
those  obtaining  grants  of  land  from  the  government,  and  planting 
cocoa-nut  trees  for  the  manufacture  of  the  cocoa-nut  oil. 

At  Dona  M.'s  this  eve  I  met  several  senoritas,  and  enjoyed  a  musi- 
cal treat,  accompanying  with  my  flute  to  some  of  the  pieces  on  the 
harp  and  piano.  I  met  Captain  Codman  at  the  hotel,  who  invited  me 
to  make  a  trip  with  him  next  week  in  his  vessel,  the  "  Vandalia,"  to 
Hong-Kong.  I  may  accept  of  his  politeness.  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

LETTER    TO   MOTHER. 

Manilla,  Philippine  Islands,  February  20th. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  :  It  is  more  than  nine  months  since  I  have  had  a 
word  from  you,  —  the  longest  time  that  I  have  been  away  without 
some  intelligence  from  that  endeared  place,  "  home."  I  think  there 
must  be  letters  on  the  way,  which,  perhaps,  have  been  delayed. 
When  I  do  hear,  I  shall  appreciate  them  all  the  more. 

You  «an  easily  judge  what  the  weather  is  here,  when  I  tell  you  that 
I  have  worn  none  but  thin  clothing  this  winter.  I  ought  not  to  call 
it  winter  in  Manilla,  though  it  is  the  winter  corresponding  to  yours. 
White  pants,  white  vest,  socks,  shirt,  gloves,  spencer,  are  worn  and 
have  to  be  changed  every  day.  Black  shoes  and  a  black  hat  compose 
the  two  extremes,  and  the  remainder  of  our  dress. 

I  have  been  to  Mr.  W.'s  and  had  some  daguerreotypes  taken,  and 
exchanged  with  friends.  So  you  see  that  in  Manilla  one  can  have  his 
likeness  taken,  and  by  an  American,  and  done  as  well  as  in  America. 
Mr.  W.  has  been  here,  connected  with  a  mercantile  house,  a  number 
of  years  ;  and  occasionally  gives  his  attention  to  this  art,  much  to  the 
accommodation  of  his  friends.  I  am  now  making  preparations  to  leave 


DEPARTURE   FROM    MANILLA.  201 

on  Saturday  next,  with  Capfc.  Codman,  who  is  from  Dorchester,  Mass., 
for  Hong-Kong. 

Saturday,  February  21th.  —  I  have  been  busy  all  day  for  the  departure 
this  evening.  I  had  my  baggage  taken  to  the  custom-house  and 
cleared,  made  several  calls  on  friends,  and  succeeded  in  getting  round 
to  dine  at  Doiia  M.'s  at  four  p.  M.,  an  hour  after  the  appointed 
time.  There  I  met  Senor  0.,  and  several  young  ladies.  We  dined 
sumptuously.  I  was  surprised  at  the  variety  of  meats,  pastry,  wines, 
preserves,  fruits,  etc.  Only  to  taste  of  each,  such  was  their  mul- 
tiplicity, would  have  made  a  sufficient  repast ;  but  one  must  eat  as 
well  as  taste.  In  the  evening  we  had  music  from  the  harp,  with  au 
occasional  note  from  the  flute,  and  singing.  I  enjoyed  the  occasion, 
and,  delaying  the  hour  as  long  as  possible,  took  leave  at  nine  with 
many  sincere  pangs  of  regret,  but  with  a  hope  that  it  was  not  yet  my 
last  interview  with  them.  I  waited  for  Capt.  C.  at  the  hotel  until  past 
twelve  at  night ;  but  something  prevented  his  being  here,  and  I  retired 
to  my  room  for  one  night  more  in  Manilla. 

Off  the  coast  of  Luzon,  February,  1849. 

Sunday,  February  25th.  —  This  morning  early  I  hurried  off  in  a 
canoe  on  board  the  vessel,  Mr.  N.  accompanying  me.  The  Spanish 
gun-boat  lay  a  little  way  from  us,  keeping  a  watch,  according  to  their 
custom,  on  the  vessel ;  and  we  were  obliged  to  approach  it  before 
nearing  our  vessel.  At  one  p.  M.  we  sailed  down  the  bay,  passed  Cor- 
rigedor  Island,  and  then  stood  out  to  sea.  This  evening  we  are  in  sight 
of  the  coast  of  Luzon,  the  wind  is  light,  and  the  -'  Vandalia  "  moves 
along  very  quietly  ;  but  all  the  old  associations  connected  with  leaving 
and  being  at  sea  are  strongly  fastened  on  me.  The  captain  and  all  have 
retired,  excepting  the  regular  watch  and  myself,  and  I  am  sitting  and 
musing  alone. 

I  cannot  help  thinking  of  the  kind-hearted,  hospitable  people,  from 
the  chief  magistrate  down  to  the  thoughtless  though  happy  Indians, 
whom  I  am  leaving  behind.  The  friendship,  society  and  hospitality, 
of  many  of  them,  I  have  enjoyed  with  real  satisfaction.  And  among 
them  are  the  Danish  Consul,  Mr.  K.'s  family,  consisting  now  of  sev- 
eral brothers  and  sisters,  all  living  at  their  house  in  harmonious  con- 
cord. They  speak  so  many  languages,  and  with  such  fluency  and  cor- 
rectness, that  I  should  hardly  have  known  what  nation  to  call  them, 
and  was  always  disposed  to  believe  the  language  they  happened  to  be 
speaking  their  own  native  tongue.  I  have  seen  them  conduct  a  con- 
versation in  five  or  six  different  languages  at  the  same  time  —  to  one 
English,  to  another  Danish,  to  another  French ,  Spanish,  German,  &c. 
And  what  seemed  remarkable  was,  that  they  could  speak  and  change 
from  one  language  to  another  with  ease  and  facility.  Their  accom- 
plishments in  music,  &c.,  could  not  be  much  less.  I  have  spent  many 
agreeable  and  home-like  hours  in  their  society,  eaten  and  drank  at 
their  table,  listened  to  their  sensible  words,  and  been  cheered  by  the 
music  of  their  instruments  and  voices. 

We  passed  the  "  Amistead,"  a  Spanish  vessel  bound  into  Manilla 
from  Hong-Kong.  Captain  C.  attempted  to  speak  her,  but  she  did 


202  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

not  understand,  or  did  not  wish  to  pay  any  attention  to  us,  and  kept 
on  her  way. 

Monday,  February  26th.  —  This  evening  we  are  nearly  becalmed, 
and  have  been  nearly  the  whole  day  ;  but  now,  at  eight  o'clock,  our 
sails  fill  with  a  moderate  breeze  from  the  land. 

Tuesday,  February  27th.  —  I  had  a  fine  cool  berth  to  sleep  in  last 
night ;  but  if  a  person  feels  unwell  it  is  hard  to  sleep  anywhere.  I 
lay  the  whole  night  dreaming,  awaking  every  half-hour  only  to  change 
my  position,  and  return  to  partial  sleep  again.  I  find  my  thoughts 
many  times  a  day  turning  back  to  Manilla,  somewhat  as  they  did  to 
Boston  when  leaving  for  the  first  time  ;  and  they  traverse  in  a  moment 
of  time  to  all  the  places  and  persons  of  my  acquaintance.  It  seems 
almost  like  leaving  home  to  leave  Manilla. 

We  are  now  standing  out  to  sea,  leaving  the  land  behind  us,  with 
the  wind  from  the  wrong  quarter.  A  small  vessel  crossed  our  bows 
this  evening  in  just  time  to  clear  herself.  Had  we  come  in  contact, 
we  should  probably  have  sunk  her,  or  been  sunk,  either  of  which 
would  have  been  sufficiently  unfortunate. 

Wednesday,  February  28th.  —  Last  evening  from  eleven  to  twelve  I 
promenaded  the  deck  alone.  Falling  into  a  thoughtful  mood,  I  paced 
back  and  forth  almost  unconsciously.  The  moon  had  sunk  below  the 
horizon,  and  the  stars  were  shedding  a  bright  light,  as  if  to  make  good 
her  place.  All  around  was  lulled  to  solemn  stillness,  except  now  and 
then  the  dull  splash  of  a  wave  against  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  I  seemed 
alone,  the  only  living  thing  on  board,  and  as  if  floating  at  the  mercy 
of  the  wind  and  sea.  Although  my  body  was  here,  my  mind  was  at 
home  among  the  friends  nearest  to  my  heart ;  and  I  could  see  them  in 
their  different  places,  as  if  from  some  point  of  observation,  and  all 
comprehended  at  a  glance.  We  are  now  out  of  sight  of  land,  and  I 
am  again,  for  the  third  time,  in  the  China  Sea.  The  weather  is  very 
mild,  and  most  agreeable. 

With  much  affection,  your  son, 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

PASSAGE  FROM  MANILLA  TO  HONG-KONG.  —  LETTERS  FROM  HOME. CHI- 
NESE SERVANTS. THEIR  CHEATING,  ETC. CHINESE  PIRATES. OPEN- 
ING OF  THE  CITY  GATES. 

THURSDAY,  March  1st. — We  are  having  very  light  winds,  but 
there  is  a  strong  current  which  enables  us  to  make  a  little  headway. 
Yesterday  we  made  two  hundred  miles,  which  is  not  a  bad  day's  work 
for  a  sailing  vessel.  But  we  all  feel  more  interested  in  the  progress 


PASSAGE   FROM    MANILLA    TO   HONG-KONG.  203 

of  this  voyage,  on  account  of  a  bet  pending  between  our  vessel,  the 
"  Vandalia,"  and  a  Spanish  one,  which  left  some  days  since.  The 
vessel  arriving  at  Hong-Kong  in  the  shortest  time  wins  the  bet  of 
fifty  dollars,  the  time  being  reckoned  from  the  hour  of  the  vessel's 
sailing  to  the  dropping  of  the  anchor. 

The  wind  freshens  this  evening,  and  produces  a  motion  that  is  any- 
thing but  agreeable ;  but  I  am  willing  to  endure  it  while  there  is 
confident  expectation  of  beating  our  competitor.  The  captain  and 
Mr.  Farnum  have  full  conviction  that  we  shall  beat,  and  I  remarked 
to  him  that  probably  the  Spanish  captain  was  equally  as  sure'  that 
he  should  ;  which  it  will  be,  remains  to  be  seen. 

Friday,  March  2d.  —  This  evening  I  had  with  the  captain  a  very 
agreeable  conversation  about  home,  and  friends  there.  We  found 
that  many  of  them  were  known  to  us  both,  and  the  evening  passed 
off  with  much  enjoyment.  Last  night  the  captain  was  quite  sick  for 
a  while,  but  this  evening  he  is  quite  well  again. 

Saturday,  March  3d.  —  All  the  past  night  we  have  been  going,  as 
they  say,  "  at  a  fearful  rate,"  "  like  the  wind,"  rolling  and  pitching 
"  quantum  sufficit."  To-day  the  wind  is  strong  and  violent,  and  we 
tear  along  at  an  unusually  rapid  rate.  The  vessel  seems  almost  to 
skip  from  sea  to  sea,  and  often  her  white  sails  go  down  and  touch  the 
rising  water  on  each  side. 

Toward  night  we  came  near  the  land,  but,  being  unable  to  see  or 
make  out  the  passage  or  entrance  to  the  harbor,  we  "  hove  to,"  and 
waited  for  a  pilot,  with  the  anchors  ready  to  let  go.  I  was  fearful 
that  a  pilot's  boat  would  not  venture  out  in  this  weather,  and  that 
we  might  have  to  stay  all  night,  and  by  that  means  get  beaten  by 
our  Spanish  brother,  who  was  probably  safe  in  the  harbor.  In  the 
course  of  two  or  three  hours  a  Chinese  boat  ventured  from  its  con- 
cealment, and  was  seen  directing  its  course  to  us.  We  several  times 
expected  to  see  it  turn  back,  but  on  it  came,  buffeting  the  water  and 
spray  that  broke  over  it,  tacking  both  ways  until  she  reached  us,  and 
the  pilot  came  on  board.  The  bargain  was  soon  arranged,  which  it 
is  very  necessary  to  do  beforehand  in  dealing  with  the  Chinese.  It 
saves  much  disagreeable  dispute,  time,  and  exorbitant  charges.  The 
pilot  took  us  very  directly  into  the  harbor,  and  we  came  to  anchor 
before  the  town  of  Hong-Kong  at  half-past  eight  o'clock. 

Hong-Kong,  Sunday,  March  4th.  —  Captain  C.  and  I  went  ashore, 
and  breakfasted  with  Mr.  Drinker  at  Messrs.  R.  D.  £  Co.'s.  I  met 
a  number  of  the  officers  of  the  "  Preble  "  in  the  evening,  with  many 


204  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

of  whom  I  enjoyed  conversation.  I  was  here  shown  the  curiosity  of 
twelve  hundred  dollars  in  gold-dust,  so  called,  though  consisting  of 
gold  pieces  or  fragments.  Wonderful  stories  are  told  about  the 
California  gold,  and  incredulously  listened  to  here. 

At  evening  I  returned  on  board  with  the  captain,  and  passed  the 
night.  The  weather  seems  cold  compared  with  that  of  Manilla,  and 
is  much  like  our  March  in  New  England,  with  the  cold  east  winds. 

I  found  to-day,  at  Mr.  D.'s  office,  a  large  package  of  letters  and 
papers,  which  was  not  seen  yesterday. 

Monday,  March  5th.  —  I  breakfasted  on  board  with  Captain  C. 
The  captain  of  the  Spanish  vessel  came  on  board  to  breakfast,  and 
acknowledged  that  our  vessel  had  beaten  his  ship.  He  had  been 
twelve  days  out,  and  we  less  than  seven. 

I  called  with  Captain  C.  at  Mr.  Bush,  the  consul's,  and  at  Mr. 
E.'s,  this  eve,  where  I  met  Rev.  Mr.  Dean,  Rev.  Mr.  Loomis,  Lieut. 
Burt,  and  Dr.  Lober.  I  took  up  my  residence  at  Messrs.  R.  D.  & 
Co.'s.  Everybody  is  engaged  in  talking  of  California. 

LETTER   TO   MOTHER. 

Hong-Kong,  China,  March. 

My  DEAR  MOTHER:  I  arrived  here  by  the  ship  "Vandalia"  the 
3d  inst.,  at  evening.  I  could  not  wait  till  daylight  to  go  ashore,  for 
my  mind  was  on  the  letters,  should  there  be  any,  from  home.  Two 
officers,  calling  on  board  on  their  way  from  the  American  man-of-war 
"  Preble,"  onered  to  set  us  ashore ;  which  invitation  I  very  readily 
accepted,  and  soon  had  in  my  hands  some  letters  which  were  waiting 
for  me.  Several  of  them  were  notes  from  persons  about  here  in 
Hong-Kong,  &c.  ;  but  I  was  greatly  rejoiced  to  see  one  which  the 
numerous  postmarks  on  it  indicated  had  come  over  land,  and  must 
be  from  some  of  you.  In  a  moment  after,  I  saw  A.  before  me  in  that 
well-known  hand-writing.  Immediately  I  was  in  the  midst  of  you 
all,  transported  from  China  to  America  in  a  second  of  time.  I  could 
see  father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sisters,  friends  and  relatives, 
all  at  their  respective  places.  Boston,  Northboro,  Quincy,  Medford, 
and  all  the  towns  in  which  I  was  acquainted,  were  crowded  at  once 
before  me,  without  any  change.  I  returned  on  board  the  ship  to  have 
a  quiet  read.  The  next  day  I  discovered  another  package,  which  had 
been  forwarded  from  Shanghae  by  Mrs.  B.  to  Hong-Kong.  It  had 
gone  there  by  mistake,  and  again  had  returned.  I  looked  over  a  pile 
of  papers  till  I  came  to  some  letters.  "And  who  are  all  these  for  ?  " 
was  the  mental  inquiry.  I  looked  them  all  over,  and,  to  my  great 
surprise,  found  my  name  on  every  one.  I  could  not  believe  that 
they  were  all  for  me,  and  looked  them  over  again.  "  Well,"  I 
thought,  "  I  did  not  expect  to  find  such  a  treasure  in  a  Chinese  des- 


CHINESE   SERVANTS.  205 

ert.  This  is  like  the  traveller  and  the  oasis  in  a  barren  waste.  He 
did,  at  last,  even  in  the  great  Sahara,  find  water  '  to  moisten  hia 
parched  lips,  and  cool  his  feverish  tongue.'  And  I,  at  last,  have 
found  in  China  the  so-much-desired  draught  to  quench  my  burning 
thirst  for  news  from  home  ;  and  I  have  a  pretty  good  day's  work 
before  me."  I  breakfasted  with  the  captain  on  shore,  and  after  that 
commenced  breaking  the  seals,  and  read  till  time  for  church  ;  after 
the  service  resuming  the  reading,  and  finished  before  night  the 
moderate  number  of  thirty  letters.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find 
letters  from  others  than  the  family,  —  Dr.  £.  R.  S.  and  Mr.  N.  A., 
&c. 

Three  days  after  this,  there  came  still  another  package,  by  the 
"  Ariel."  So  that  in  the  space  of  a  few  days  I  have  had  a  very 
bountiful  supply,  both  written  and  printed,  and  I  denied  myself 
any  indulgence  until  I  had  consumed  the  whole. 

I  should  have  liked  much  to  have  seen  you  when  I  sailed  from 
Boston,  and  given  you  an  affectionate  son's  "  good-by  ;  "  but  it  was 
not  to  be.  Mrs.  G.  was  nearly  right  when  she  said  to  you  that  in 
China  the  servants  put  one  to  bed,  take  him  up  in  the  morning,  lay 
him  on  the  floor,  wash,  dress  and  comb  him,  &c.  There  is  here  very 
little  waiting  on  one's  self.  Custom  obliges  every  foreigner  living 
here  to  have  a  servant  as  much  as  to  have  a  room.  I  am  becoming 
more  reconciled  to  it,  and  they  follow  me  up  pretty  closely.  They 
are  all  called  boys,  if  forty  years  old  ;  and  it  is, 

"  Boy,  bring  me  the  paper,"  —  "  Boy,  get  me  a  glass  of  water," 

—  "  Boy,  bring  me  a  cup  of  coffee,"  &c. 
Or  rather,  it  is,  in  the  Anglo-Chinese, 

"  Boy,  go  catchee  that  paper  he  make  a-read-pigeon  "  (that  is, 
not  a  blank  or  sheet  of  writing-paper,  but  one  that  is  to  be  read, — 
a  newspaper)  ;  —  "Boy,  go  catchee  mye  glashe  water,"  —  "Boy, 
bring  mye  coffee,"  &c. 

I  do  not  much  fancy  one  of  this  celestial  race,  as  sometimes  called, 

—  a  heathen  Chinaman,  with  his  long  head,  long  face  and  distorted 
features,  long  arms,  hands  and  finger-nails,  long,  lank  body  shrouded 
in  a  long  white  or  blue  frock,  long  tail  or  queue,  long  neck  pitching 
angularly  forward,  and  head  thrown  backward,  and  the  long  strides 
of  his  long,  clumsy  legs,  —  moping  along  after  me.     There  is  some- 
thing so  disagreeable  about  their  countenance  and  in  their  senseless 
expression,  —  like  human  faces  carved  out  of  pine  boards,  —  that  I 
do  not  like  to  have  them  in  such  close  communication  as  their  duties 
impose  on  them,  namely,  to  take  off  my  shoes,  stockings  and  pants  ; 
to  hand  me  the  different  articles  of  the  toilet,  and  to  hold  one  thing 
while  I  put  on  another.     Helpless  beings  they  must  consider  us  !     I 
prefer  to  wait  on  myself  a  little  longer  ;  and,  when  my  "  boy  "  comes 
in  while  I  am  dressing,  and  stands  gaping  at  me,  I  take  the  liberty 
of  sanding  him  out.     At  the  table  each  one  is  obliged  to  have  his  own 
boy  to  stand  behind  his  chair  and  wait  on  him.     He  watches  while 
you  eat,  passing  to  you  one  dish  after  the  other,  and  endeavors  to 
anticipate  your  wants.     The  boy  I  had  before  I  went  to  Manilla  was 
a  pretty  good  one,  and  seemed  somewhat  attached  to  me.     His  dutiea 

18 


206  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

were  light,  occupying  him  not  more  than  two  or  three  hours  in  a 
day,  which  I  am  inclined  to  believe  was  the  principal  cause  of  hia 
attachment.  He  came  to  me  as  soon  as  I  returned,  and  wished  me 
to  take  him  back  again  ;  but,  as  he  was  engaged  in  a  family,  I  did 
not  wish  to  interfere,  and  refused  him.  The  one  that  I  now  have  I 
do  not  like  as  well,  though  I  cannot  say  how  he  will  turn  out. 
When  I  look  at  him,  which  is  as  seldom  as  possible,  he  reminds  me 
of  a  tall  green  cornstalk. 

The  servants  live  mostly  on  boiled  rice  and  vegetables,  some  meat, 
and  some  fish.  They  are  supposed  to  buy  their  own  provisions  ;  but 
it  is  pretty  evident  that,  when  they  buy  for  their  masters,  they  are 
careful  to  know  that  there  is  enough  for  themselves  also.  It  is 
amusing  to  look  at  the  Chinese  servants  when  they  take  their  chow- 
chow  (food)  in  the  little  open  court  by  themselves.  I  have  often 
looked  down  from  a  window  above,  and  seen  from  twelve  to  twenty 
sitting  on  stools  around  their  circular  tables,  all  engaged  with  a  true 
devotion  to  the  cause  such  as  is  rarely  to  be  noticed  elsewhere.  They 
are  waited  on  by  servants  to  themselves  ;  and  whether  there  are  ser- 
vants to  these  servants'  servants,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  I  think  that  as 
soon  as  the  dishes  are  served  they  sit  down  and  eat  all  together. 
Their  bowls  are  filled  with  boiled  rice,  and  set  before  each  one,  and  a 
plate  of  vegetables,  and  one  of  fish  or  meat,  cut  in  small  niouthfuls, 
are  in  the  middle,  within  reach  of  all.  Almost  simultaneously 
they  insert  their  chopsticks  into  their  rice,  and,  all  raising  their 
bowls  to  their  chins,  they  bear  down  the  chopsticks  over  the  edges  of 
the  bowls,  and,  with  rapid  motions,  pitch  the  rice  into  their  mouths. 
This  they  continue,  their  cheeks  on  both  sides  expanding  as  they 
crowd  the  rice  into  their  mouths,  until  their  enlarged  faces  appear  to 
have  reached  their  greatest  tension,  when,  with  their  heads  raised  a 
little  upward,  their  bowls  lowered  in  one  hand,  and  chopsticks  rest- 
ing upon  the  table  in  the  other,  they  commence  masticating  with 
slow  evolutions.  One  almost  expects  to  see  them  choke,  and  snap 
their  heads,  like  hens  with  their  dough  ;  but  a  few  cirelings  of  their 
chin  outward  and  gapings  of  the  mouth  enable  them  to  swallow 
after  a  while,  which  they  continue  until  their  mouths  are  emptied, 
when  they  commence  filling  up  again ;  and,  if  the  observer  notices, 
he  will  perceive  their  chopsticks  gliding  out  now  and  then  into  the 
vegetables,  or  meat-dish,  and  as  rapidly  return  to  the  bowl  again. 
With  these  changes  several  bowls  of  rice  are  emptied,  when,  with  a 
little  fruit  and  cups  of  tea,  their  meal  ends.  Sometimes  they  eat 
curry  and  rice  with  their  other  food,  for  variety.  The  impression  one 
receives  while  looking  on  such  a  table  is,  that  each  one  is  trying  to 
eat  faster  than  the  others.  The  Chinese  are  great  cheats,  the  whole 
of  them,  I  believe. 

Say  to  James,  who  wanted  me  to  send  him  some  of  the  Chinese 
cattle,  that  they  are  not  superior  to  the  fine  cattle  of  England  and 
America.  They  are  generally  large,  but  ill  formed,  like  their  mas- 
ters ;  and  the  horses  are  miserably  small.  The  Chinese  have  no 
milking  cows,  but  goats  are  used  instead,  though  the  Chinese  them- 


HOXG-KOXG. SINGULAR   ACCIDENT. SEDAN-CHAIR.         207 

selves  eat  neither  milk,  buttar,  or  cheese.     The  Shanghae  sheep  and 
fowls  only  are  considered  finer  than  ours. 

Will  E.  s<iy  to  Dr.  B.  that  I  am  right  side  up  yet,  and  not  on  my 
head,  as  lie  would  have  it ;  and  that  if  one  of  us  is  on  our  head,  I  ain 
sure  it  is  not  ine.  I  will  make  the  great  stamp  that  he  proposes  ;  and, 
on  the  fourth  of  July  next,  if  he  listens,  precisely  at  twelve  o'clock, 
mid-day,  he  can  hear  it  on  the  other  side.  He  may  at  first  think  it  to 
be  thunder  or  an  earthquake,  but,  if  it  is  generally  noticed,  he  will  be 
able  to  explain  the  phenomenon.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  my  falling  in 
love  with  the  "  little  feet "  and  "  long  hair  "  of  the  Chinese  ladies. 
There  is  very  little  attraction  about  them  for  me,  though  they  are 
superior  to  the  men  in  every  respect,  especially  in  good  looks. 

I  have  to  submit  to  many  things  that  are  not  agreeable  ;  but  that  is 
the  case  everywhere,  though  perhaps  more  here  than  in  many  other 
places.  I  do  not  like  the  scofl's,  the  self-conceit  and  arrogance,  of  the 
Chinese.  Every  act  and  look  of  theirs  betrays  their  supposed  superi- 
ority over  Europeans.  This  sometimes  stirs  a  rankling  sensation  within, 
particularly  when  it  comes  from  some  low,  miserable  cooly  ;  but  it  is 
better  not  to  notice  them.  "  There  is  no  place  like  home."  Good- 
night —  in  return  for  yours.  Affectionately,  yours, 

B.  L.  B. 

Wednesday,  March  1th.  —  I  have  been  quite  unwell  to-day,  mostly 
from  dyspepsia  ;  but  I  can  take  care  of  myself.  The  weather  is  cold 
here  now,  though  I  am  told  that  the  weather  has  been  hot  through 
the  winter. 

Thursday,  March  8th.  —  I  found  pleasant  rooms  on  the  main  street 
at  Mr.  Markwick's  house,  with  a  furnished  parlor,  for  which  I  am  to 
pay  twenty-five  dollars  per  month.  My  meals  I  shall  continue  to  take 
with  Mr.  D.,  as  usual. 

Sunday,  March  llth.  —  Dined  and  spent  the  evening  with  Mr.  B., 
the  United  States  Consul.  Met  there  Capt.  Codman,  Mr.  Anthon,  Mr. 
Dana,  and  other  Americans.  After  tea  in  the  evening  we  enjoyed 
New  England  singing,  Mrs.  B.  presiding  at  the  piano.  The  music 
was  very  good,  and  I  was  agreeably  reminded  of  our  pleasant  Sunday 
evening  gatherings  at  home. 

Yesterday  Mr.  F.  met  with  a  severe  and  rare  accident.  While  rid- 
ing horseback,  the  horse  threw  his  head  up  and  struck  Mr.  F.  in  his 
face,  loosening  and  breaking  some  of  his  teeth.  I  replaced  them, 
secured  them  with  ligatures,  and  made  some  applications  of  astrin- 
gents, &c. 

On  account  of  the  rain,  Mr.-  B.  sent  his  sedan-chair  and  coolies  to 
take  me  home.  I  had  never  been  in  one,  and  thought  I  never  would 
if  I  could  avoid  it.  I  did  not  fancy  being  carried  by  human  beings  so 


208  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

much  like  slaves.  But,  preferring  not  to  get  wet  or  muddy,  nor  to 
refuse  Mr.  B.'s  politeness,  I  accepted,  and  took  the  chair  for  once. 

One  cooly  went  before  and  the  other  behind,  and  I  went  swinging, 
with  a  kind  of  jerking,  rising  and  falling,  between  them.  The  sensa- 
tion was  disagreeable,  but  not  uncomfortable ;  yet  they  carried  mo 
safely,  and  set  me  down  at  my  door. 

Tuesday,  March  \2>th.  —  Went  on  board  the  "  Vandalia  "  to  see 
her  off  for  Manilla,  Capt.C.  sailing  to-day.  I  had  half  a  mind  to 
accept  his  invitation  to  go  with  him,  but  concluded  I  was  not  yet 
ready.  Mr.  J.  Kierulf  and  Mr.  Dana  were  passengers. 

Thursday,  March  15th.  — At  six  this  p.  M.  I  dined  with  Mr.  Mark- 
wick  ;  for  which  I  had  only  to  step  from  my  room  to  his.  He  is  the 
government  auctioneer  here,  and  lives  alone  in  his  bachelor  glory,  with 
only  his  servants  around  him.  There  were  several  of  his  friends  present, 
and  a  finer  spread  table  I  have  not  seen  in  this  country.  I  remarked 
this  more  particularly  for  the  reason  that  he  is  a  man  of  so  little  show 
and  pretension.  The  dishes  were  numerous,  with  a  profusion  of  meats 
and  viands,  and  various  wines  ;  and  the  silver  plate  was  massive  and 
handsomely  wrought.  Not  feeling  very  well,  I  soon  excused  myself, 
and  retired  to  my  own  room. 

Saturday,  March  Yfth.  —  The  weather  is  cold  and  disagreeable.  Mr. 
M.  sold,  by  order  of  the  police,  the  effects  belonging  to  the  notorious 
murderer  and  pirate  Chui-a-poo.  I  bought  the  earrings  and  anklets 
belonging  to  his  wife,  and  some  other  things,  enclosed  them  in  one  of 
the  handbills,  and  added  them  to  my  stock  of  curiosities  to  send  home, 
—  a  curious  fancy  of  mine  for  such  mementoes. 

Mr.  M.  calls  frequently  in  my  room,  and  is  very  kind,  showing  me 
many  attentions  which  I  could  not  expect  of  him. 

Everybody  is  talking  of  California,  and  often  one  may  hear,  among 
the  Chinese,  "  Kalyporny,"  beginning  or  ending  their  sentences. 
Some  talk  confidently  of  making  two  hundred  per  cent,  on  goods  sent 
there.  I  am  myself  a  little  inclined  to  go,  but  shall  consider  it  first. 

Sunday,  March  18th. —  Dr.  Burt,  from  the  "  Preble,"  dining  at 
Mr.  D.'s  to-day,  stated  that  one  of  their  boats  was  attacked  by 
Chinese  pirates,  last  night,  while  it  was  on  the  way  to  Macao,  where 
two  sick  men  were  being  conveyed.  All  who  were  in  the  boat  jumped 
overboard  and  saved  themselves ;  but  the  guns,  cutlasses,  and  other 
things,  were  seized  by  the  pirates.  This  evening  an  armed  boat  has 
gone  in  pursuit. 

There  is  a  report  here  that  four  men  have  been  murdered  by  the 


HONG-KONG. A    WOULD-BE   EXTORTIONER.  209 

Chinese  at  Whampoa,  and  that  two  others  are  missing.  The  steamer 
"  Medea,"1  with  English  troops  on  board,  has  gone  up  there  to  investi- 
gate the  affair.  The  Chinese  forts  all  the  way  up  the  river  are  in  a  state 
of  activity,  and  the  soldiers  being  exercised  every  day  at  the  guns,  in 
anticipation  that  the  English  may  attempt  to  force  the  opening  of 
the  gates  of  Canton,  the  sixth  of  April  next. 

This  morning  I  called  at  the  printer's  office  to  get  a  newspaper, 
and  the  Chinese  shroff,  in  making  the  change,  undertook  to  cheat 
me  in  several  different  ways.  When  I  perceived  his  object,  I  deter- 
mined that  he  should  not  do  it.  1  gave  him  a  Spanish  dollar  to  take 
out  one  quarter  for  the  paper.  He  took  the  dollar  and  went  into  another 
room  for  the  change,  returning  with  two  half-dollars.  Finding  that 
I  would  not  give  him  one  of  them,  as  is  sometimes  done  to  avoid  delay, 
he  took  it  and  went  across  the  street  to  get  it  changed.  As  he  was 
gone  a  long  time  (very  likely  was  waiting  for  me  to  go  without  it),  I 
started  after  him,  and  met  him.  He  said  he  could  not  get  the  half- 
dollar  changed.  "  Very  well,"  said  I,  "  as  I  live  but  a  few  steps  from 
here,  I  will  get  the  change,  and  call  in  and  pay  it  in  the  course  of  the 
day.  He  then  thought  he  could  get  it  changed  at  another  place.  I 
consented,  and  he  went  and  returned  with  the  change.  I  expected  he 
would  make  short  change  by  a  few  cents,  and  watched  to  see  how  he 
would  manage  it,  expecting  he  would  give  me  a  string  of  his  copper 
cash  for  a  part  of  it ;  but  it  was  all  silver,  —  one  doubtful  quarter,  and 
two  worn  ten-cent  pieces.  I  paid  him  the  two  small  pieces,  when  he 
asked  me  for  the  half-dollar  of  his  money.  He  looked  so  very  plau- 
sible, that,  for  the  moment,  I  began  to  doubt,  and  felt  in  all  my  pock- 
ets to  see  if  I  had  the  two.  Finding  but  one,  I  recollected  that  he  took 
one  of  mine,  and  told  him  so.  "0,  no  !"  said  he;  "my  money! 
my  money !  "  He  continued  to  persist,  and  had  I  happened  to  have 
had  other  half-dollars  he  would  have  succeeded  ;  for,  if  at  all  doubtful, 
I  should  have  paid  it  to  him. 

Wednesday,  March  list.  —  There  is  a  report  that  the  "  post-boat  " 
which  carries  the  mails  to  Canton  was  attacked  during  last  night  by 
pirates,  and  robbed,  and  that  some  of  the  boatmen  were  killed  or 
drowned. 

I  have  a  new  boy  —  a  Chinese  pagan,  who  has  come  to-day  from 
Macao  to  enter  into  my  service.  He  is  a  green,  country-looking  genius, 
and  has  nothing  prepossessing  in  his  appearance. 

I  met  to-day  with  Capt.  Patterson,  who  is  originally  from  Northboro. 
I  had  a  long  and  social  chat  with  him  on  home  affairs.  To  see  some 
18* 


210  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

one  from  my  native  town  is  next  to  being  there  in  person,  and  brings 
to  mind  many  pleasant  reminiscences. 

Saturday,  March  21th.  —  Had  a  pleasant  interview  with  Mr.  Mc- 
Kee,  a  merchant  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  was  formerly  master 
of  a  vessel  from  Nantucket.  Cruising  at  one  time  about  the  islands, 
his  black  steward  made  an  unprovoked  attack  on  him  in  the  night, 
when  he  was  asleep  in  his  berth,  and  gave  him  severe  blows  from  a 
hatchet  on  his  face  and  head.  The  steward  then  ran  on  deck,  dis- 
charged two  pistols  at  the  mate,  and,  jumping  overboard,  was 
druwned.  The  mate  was  uninjured,  but  Mr.  McKee  was  so  disabled, 
one  side  of  the  face  being  paralyzed,  that  he  was  laid  up  for  a  consid- 
erable time,  and  afterwards  took  up  his  residence  at  the  islands.  No 
cause  could  be  assigned  for  the  desperate  assault  of  the  steward. 

LETTER   TO   BROTHER  A. 

Hong-Kong,   Thursday,  March  22th, 


DEAR  BROTHER  A.  : 

Tell  Mrs.  C.  that  every  Sunday  I  think  of  her,  especially  as  I  read 
her  papers,  and  realize  the  difference  in  church  affairs  out  here. 
When  1  return  I  shall  appreciate  the  churches  in  America  more 
than  ever.  On  several  Sunday  mornings,  before  I  was  fairly  awake, 
I  have  thought,  "  Well,  I  must  hasten  up,  dress,  take  a  little  walk, 
go  up  to  the  Winthrop  to  breakfast,  read  the  papers,  &c.,  and  call  at 
Mrs.  CVs  at  half-past  ten  to  go  to  church  with  her,  and  then  at  noon 
go  to  Mr.  M.'s  to  dine."  But  when  my  calculations  were  made,  a 
sudden  move  to  put  them  into  effect  would  bring  to  recollection  my 
position,  and  I  would  think,  "  Well,  there  is  no  getting  up  to  H. -street, 
to  D. -street,  nor  to  any  other  street  in  Boston,  to-day  or  evening; 
and  I  may  as  well  content  myself,  and  rest  again." 

To  live  in  China,  compared  with  America,  is  like  being  shut  up  in 
a  convent.  One  is  almost  entirely  separated  from  the  civilized  world. 
The  Chinese  call  us  barbarians ;  but  we  call  them  barbarians  and 
heathen.  'They  are  true  heathen,  for  they  worship  the  "  blocks  of 
wood  and  stone."  It  is  almost  provoking  to  witness  such  foolish- 
ness, such  superstitious  nonsense,  as  their  idolatry  ;  to  see  them  pay 
such  profound  adoration  to  a  senseless  idol  ;  chin-chin  their  god, 
that  he  will  not  have  a  fire  this  year  to  consume  their  houses  ;  burn 
Josh-sticks  and  Josh-paper  for  a  prosperous  journey,  voyage,  or  trade  ; 
kneel  before  a  carved  image,  bowing  this  way  and  that,  kissing  the 
ground,  supplicating  the  god  to  befriend  them,  to  give  them  a  favor- 
able wind,  and  to  make  plenty  of  business  for  them,  &c.  &c. 

The  "  Ariel  "  remained  here  but  a  short  time,  and  is  now  at 
Whampoa,  from  whence  she  leaves  in  a  few  days  for  the  United 
States.  I  should  send  some  little  articles  home  by  he*",  but  am  fear- 
ful to  send  them  up  to  Whampoa,  on  account  of  the  pirates  All 


UONG-KONQ. PIRATES.  211 

about  Hong-Kong  and  the  islands  here,  and  through  the  Canton 
river,  there  swarm  great  numbers  of  Chinese  pirates,  who  get  their 
living  by  robbing  boats,  and  occasionally  fishing  a  little.  These 
places,  and  many  others  on  the  coast,  are  completely  infested  by 
them.  Every  day  or  two  news  comes  that  a  certain  boat  was  attacked, 
and  that  certain  persons  were  killed,  wounded,  or  drowned.  Their 
aim  does  not  seem  to  be  to  take  life,  but  to  plunder  ;  though  they  do 
not  respect  life  when  they  cannot  succeed  in  their  intentions  by  other 
means  ;  usually,  when  any  resistance  is  made,  more  or  less, lives  arc 
lost,  Chinese  as  often  as  Europeans.  The  Chinese  often  give  up  to 
these  pirates,  without  a  word  of  opposition.  There  are  so  many 
islands  for  places  of  retreat,  and  so  many  hundreds  of  boats,  that  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  detect  the  pirates.  They  lie  in  wait,  sally 
out,  do  their  work,  and  are  quickly  in  retreat.  No  boat  pretends  to 
go  without  fire-arms,  and  other  weapons  of  defence.  Large  ships  are 
also  armed  ;  but  the  pirates  generally  fear  to  molest  these.  Their 
manner  of  attack  is  stealthily  to  come  alongside,  or,  as  a  ruse,  hold 
up  a  piece  of  white  paper,  indicating  that  they  have  letters  to  deliver, 
until  they  are  close  to,  when  they  rapidly  throw  fire-balls  and  suffo- 
cating mixtures  on  board,  and  immediately  attack  with  guns,  spears, 
pikes,  and  cutlasses.  The  party  attacked,  when  less  in  number  than 
the  pirates,  are  soon  overpowered,  and  to  preserve  their  lives  jump 
overboard.  Those  disabled  by  wounds,  and  those  unable  to  swim, 
are  drowned  ;  others  escape  by  swimming  ashore,  or  are  afterwards 
taken  up  by  vessels  passing.  Every  article  of  any  value  on  board  is 
pillaged.  The  Chinese  government  is  unable  to  subdue  or  to  detect 
them.  Rewards  are  freely  offered ;  and  if  a  pirate,  perchance,  is 
taken,  he  is  beheaded  with  little  ceremony.  During  this  month  of 
March  they  have  been  uncommonly  bold.  The  secretary  of  the 
English  consul  told  me  lately  that  he  was  attacked  by  them  on  the 
Canton  river,  fought  them  a  while,  and  was  wounded  in  several 
places ;  but  fortunately  saved  himself  by  swimming  ashore.  Some 
of  his  boatmen  were  drowned.  A  day  or  two  since,  the  Spanish 
mail-boat  was  attacked,  and  the  mail-agent  drowned,  with  most  of 
his  crew.  Some  of  the  Chinese  fast  boats,  with  a  crew  of  eighty  to 
one  hundred  men,  regard  them  with  so  much  fear  that  they  pay  the 
pirates  a  regular  sum  yearly,  and  are  not  molested  by  them.  A  boat 
with  nothing  valuable  on  board  is  rarely,  if  ever,  troubled  by  them  ; 
as  they  know,  without  going  on  board,  what  it  contains.  Their 
emissaries  are  so  scattered  about  that  some  of  them  may  continually 
see  you  ;  but  you  would  not  know  them  from  any  one  else.  Coolies 
about  the  streets,  or  your  boatmen,  may  be  their  emissaries.  Shop- 
keepers, or  your  own  boy,  may  be  in  league  with  them.  I  am  told 
that  through  their  system  of  communication,  by  signs,  signals  or 
other  ways,  they  are  well  informed  of  every  boat  that  leaves  Hong- 
Kong,  Canton,  Whampoa,  Macao,  or  any  place  about  here  ;  the  time 
when  they  leave,  when  they  may  be  expected  to  pass  any  given  place, 
and  what  there  is  on  board,  —  having  some  of  their  emissaries  stationed 
at  all  these  places.  Thus,  those  only  which  are  considered  valuable, 
or  worth  the  trouble,  are  attacked. 


212  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

On  the  river  the  robberies  are  of  such  frequent  occurrence  that 
they  are  hardly  noticed  by  the  public,  unless  some  person  is  killed  or 
severely  wounded.  Dr.  B.  informs  me  that  nearly  every  day  he  has 
patients  from  among  the  pirates ;  wounds  to  be  dressed  and  sewed 
up,  balls  to  be  extracted,  broken  bones  to  be  adjusted,  chronic  ulcers 
to  be  healed,  &c.  A  boat  which  has  any  amount  of  specie  on  board 
is  sure  to  be  attacked.  No  matter  how  much  secrecy  or  precaution 
has  been  used  to  keep  the  knowledge  of  it  from  the  boys,  coolies  and 
others,  the  pirates  will  not  fail  to  know  it.  But,  generally,  the  ser- 
vants have  to  take  care  of  their  master's  property,  which  affords  an 
easy  way  of  its  being  known  to  others ;  and  your  own  boy,  the 
servant  that  waits  on  you,  is  often  supposed  to  be  an  accomplice,  and 
for  his  information  to  receive  a  share  of  the  spoils.  The  steamer 
which  goes  occasionally  seems  to  be  the  only  really  safe  way  of  trav- 
elling. 

According  to  the  treaty  between  the  English  and  Chinese,  the  city 
gates  are  to  be  opened  on  the  sixth  of  April  next,  and  foreigners 
allowed  to  do  business  inside,  and  to  go  in  or  out  at  pleasure. 
Although  there  are  now  but  a  few  days  to  that  time,  yet  nothing 
definite  can  be  known.  At  present  both  nations  seem  to  be  acting 
on  the  defensive.  Governor  Bonham  has  had  an  interview  with  the 
governor  of  Canton,  which  resulted  in  the  same  excuses  as  have  been 
made  on  former  occasions  —  one  of  which  is,  that  the  authorities  had 
not  the  power  to  restrain  the  mob,  if  the  gates  should  be  opened  to 
foreigners.  This  I  should  judge  to  be  true,  to  a  certain  extent.  All 
the  people  are  opposed  to  the  carrying  into  effect  of  that  part  of  the 
treaty  ;  and,  doubtless,  the  authorities  are  also. 

During  this  month  they  have  been  actively  engaged  in  repairing 
their  fortifications,  and  they  have  placed  some  thousands  more  of  men 
in  their  forts  on  the  river.  A  day  or  two  since  they  reported  to  their 
general  that  the  guns  were  all  mounted.  They  have  organized,  in 
the  city  of  Canton,  a  large  force  of  eighty  thousand  men,  who  marcn* 
through  the  streets  by  day  ;  and  they  have  a  large  patrol  at  night ; 
but  the  Chinese  say  that  this  is  for  protection  against  large  and 
numerous  bands  of  robbers,  who  take  advantage  of  any  change  of 
affairs  to  make  depredations  on  the  citizens.  Tiiese  troops  are  called 
"  braves,"  and  are  brought  from  the  interior;  I  have  myself  little 
faith  in  their  bravery.  The  English  say  they  do  not  expect  any 
trouble  with  them,  and  have  a  war-steamer  lying  off  the  factories, 
and  others  at  hand.  They  are  evidently  prepared  for  any  difficulty, 
but  do  not  like  to  give  an  impression  that  they  expect  it.  'They  have 
ten  or  t\velve  vessels  of  war  here,  and  others,  I  believe,  up  the  coast. 
It  is  generally  believed  by  foreigners  that  the  gates  will  be  opened 
by  an  imperial  order  from  Pekin,  merely  as  a  form  on  the  part  of  the 
emperor,  to  comply  with  the  article  of  the  treaty. 

March.  30^/t.  —  The  mail  closes  directly.  News  has  just  arrived 
that  Governor  Su,  of  Canton,  has  received  despatches  from  the  empe- 
ror respecting  the  opening  of  the  gates,  and  that  his  instructions  are 
to  do  as  he  pleases.  "  Compassionate  the  people,"  "  do  the  best 
you  are  able,  are  the  imperial  words  addressed  to  Su.  It  is  impos- 


HONG-KONG. OPENING    GATES   OF   CANTON.  213 

Bible  to  see  how  the  affair  will  end.  Considerable  excitement  exists  at 
this  time,  and  a  slight  circumstance  would  be  sufficient  to  break  the 
peace.  In  haste,  your  brother, 

B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

TREATY  OF   THE   ENGLISH  AND   CHINESE.  —  LETTER    TO  A   SISTER. — VISIT 

TO     A     CHINESE     SCHOOL. LETTER     TO     DR.     F. CHINESE    EDICTS. 

PUNISHMENT    OF    CHINESE   OFFENDERS.  DILEMMA. 

LETTER    TO   A    BROTHER-IN-LAW. 

Hong- Kong,  Sunday,  April  1st. 

MY  DEAR  DR.  P. :  It  is  a  lovely  day,  but  rather  warm  here.  I 
breakfasted  on  board  the  "  Heber,"  with  Captain  Patterson  and  other 
friends  who  were  there,  and  attended  church  at  the  new  Episcopal 
building.  I  took  tea  at  Dr.  Morrison's.  A  night  or  two  since  the 
doctor  had  his  house  pillaged  of  silver  plate,  his  gold  watch,  &c.  The 
robbers  entered  and  took  it  from  his  own  bedroom,  where  he  was 
sleeping  at  the  time.  His  Chinese  servants  are  supposed  to  know 
about  it,  but  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  anything.  Some  ancient 
and  valuable  pieces  of  family  plate  were  taken,  and  are  probably 
melted  up  before  this. 

April  tith.  —  According  to  the  treaty  between  the  English  and 
Chinese,  the  gates  of  the  city  of  Canton  were  to  have  been  opened  to 
foreigners  to-day,  which  appears  likely  to  pass,  like  all  other  days, 
without  any  disturbance.  The  Chinese  authorities  and  people  are 
both  against  it  ;  and  Su,  the  Chinese  governor,  has  lately  sent  an 
official  notice  to  Governor  Bonham  that  the  gates  would  not  be 
opened,  on  the  plea  that  the  people  are  strenuously  opposed  to  the 
measure,  —  of  which,  I  believe,  there  is  no  doubt,  though  most  persons 
here  have  thought  that  this  was  merely  a  feint  to  deceive  on  the  part 
of  the  government.  I  took  considerable  pains,  when  at  Canton,  to 
ascertain  the  views  of  some  of  the  people  there,  and  there  was  not  a 
single  instance  in  which  they  did  not  express  themselves  firmly  and 
decidedly  opposed  to  the  opening  of  the  gates.  One  of  the  merchants, 
accompanying  his  words  with  violent  gestures,  said, 

"  Foreign  man  no  can  go  inside  (the  gates)  too  muchy  long  time. 
Have  got  Cheena  custom,no  can  do.  English  have  got  custom  Hong- 
Kong,  Cheenaman  no  can  do,"  —  that  is,  nothing  opposed  to  it. 
"  Cheenaman  have  got  custom  Canton,  Englishman  no  can  do,"  — 
that  is,  anything  opposed  to  it.  In  other  words,  both  these  nations 
have  their  own  customs  or  laws,  which  are  not  to  be  infringed  upon  by 
the  other. 


214  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

*'  Suppose  the  English  should  bombard  the  city,"  said  I;  "you 
could  not  prevent  them." 

"  Englishman  can  do  that  fashion,  —  can  burn  city,  —  can  kill  fifty 
tousand  man, — marsa-que,  Cheenaman  go  in  country;  but  foreign 
man  NO  CAN  GO  INSIDE  !  " 

Another  man,  taking  his  long  braided  hair  in  his  hands,  and  making 
a  sawing  motion  across  it,  gaid  that  "  they  would  as  soon  have  that 
cut  off  as  to  let  foreigners  go  inside  the  city  ;  "  and  then,  drawing  hia 
hand  across  the  throat,  he  said  that  "  Chinamen  would  as  soon  have 
their  heads  taken  off  as  their  hair."  So  degrading  de  the  Chinese 
consider  the  punishment  of  having  the  hair  cut  off,  that  after  it  has 
been  inflicted  on  them  they  have  oeen  known  immediately  to  go  out 
and  commit  suicide.  They  do  not  generally  appear  to  know  that  it 
was  stipulated  in  the  treaty  by  their  government  that  the  gates  of 
Canton  were  to  be  opened  to  the  world,  imagining  it  was  the  port 
only  which  was  to  be  opened. 

They  seem  to  be  under  an  impression  that  the  English  have  some 
sinister  motives  for  going  within  the  walls,  besides  those  of  trade.  Some 
think  that  they  wish  to  discover  their  arts ;  others  believe  that 
foreigners  have  the  power  of  seeing  into  the  earth,  and  that  they  are 
desirous  to  obtain  possession  of  the  money  and  treasures  which,  in 
some  instances,  are  for  security  kept  buried  there  in  large  amounts  ; 
and  many  other  things  are  ascribed  to  the  English.  Placards  of 
various  signification,  and  addressed  to  the  people,  have  been  posted  in 
all  parts  of  the  city.  Meetings  have  been  held  in  the  different  wards 
among  the  different  classes  of  merchants,  and  resolutions  passed  by 
which  they  bind  themselves,  under  severe  penalties,  to  suspend  at  the 
present  time  all  intercourse  with  the  barbarians  (foreigners).  Reports 
have  been  circulated  among  the  lower  orders  of  Chinese  that  the  upper 
class  have  offered  rewards  for  barbarians'  'heads;  but,  whether  there 
is  any  truth  in  it  or  not,  the  simple  fact  of  such  a  report  would  make 
it  dangerous  for  foreigners  to  wander  much  beyond  the  factories. 
Another  report  is,  that  Hong-Kong  is  seriously  threatened  with  exter- 
mination by  the  Chinese.  Yours,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 

LETTER  TO   SISTER  E.    C.    B. 

Hong-Kong,  Tuesday,  April  10<&. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  The  weather  here  is  quite  warm.  Mr.  Drinker 
to-day  had  some  boxes  of  silk  goods  broken  into  by  Chinese  boatmen, 
while  beyig  transported  from  the  storehouse  to  the  vessel.  Some  of 
the  goods  were  taken  away,  and  the  place  they  occupied  filled  in  with 
old  pieces  of  ropes,  &c.  Mr.  McKee's  packages  also  were  broken  into 
a  few  days  since  while  coming  down  the  river,  some  valuable  articles 
removed,  and  straw  substituted  in  their  place.  I  could  enumerate 
many  instances  of  their  adroitness  in  stealing. 

Almost  every  day  I  notice  some  of  the  ragged  coolies  who  have  their 
stand  in  front  of  my  window  attacked  by  the  passing  dogs.  To-day  a 
dog  about  the  size  of  a  spaniel  sprang  barking  at  one  of  them,  who, 


HONG-KONG. CHINESE   AGRICULTURE.  215 

half  frightened,  cried  out,  crouched  on  the  ground,  and  suffered  the 
dog  to  bite  him  without  resistance,  until  a  foreigner  came  up  and 
drove  the  animal  away.  The  cooly  was  a  great,  lusty  Chinaman, 
and  able  with  one  kick  of  his  foot  or  blow  of  his  brawny  hand  to  have 
laid  the  dog  straight ;  but  he  evidently  had  not  the  courage  to  make 
any  defence. 

Friday,  April  \Zth.  —  I  breakfasted  with  Rev.  Mr.  Dean,  and  then 
went  with  him  over  to  the  main-land  of  China.  Hong-Kong  is  English 
ground,  —  an  island  quite  separate  from  China,  though  a  great  many 
Chinese  reside  here.  We  took  a  good  boat,  and,  passing  up  northerly 
through  the  harbor,  in  two  hours  landed  at  a  small  town  in  a  deep 
bay.  Here  Mr.  D.  has  a  Chinese  school,  which  we  visited,  and  which 
was  quite  a  curiosity  to  me.  There  were  about  a  dozen  scholars, 
whom  we  heard  go  through  their  recitations.  They  all  study  aloud, 
which  seemed  to  cause  no  confusion  with  them,  though  it  did  con- 
siderable to  me.  There  were  two  Chinese  teachers,  acting  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  D.  I  bought  two  of  their  school-books  as  curiosities. 

We  next  visited  the  Josh-house,  and  walked  through  the  village 
over  to  another  place,  called  Cow-loon.  Here  we  saw  the  rice-fields, 
—  little  level  patches  of  ground,  divided  into  a  variety  of  shapes  by 
raised  footpaths  between,  some  of  which  patches  were  hardly  large 
enough  to  turn  the  ploughing-team  in.  And  such  ploughs  !  One 
would  suppose  there  had  been  no  improvement  in  them  since  the  days 
of  Adam  !  Women,  with  single  bullocks,  were  ploughing,  digging, 
and  cultivating  the  ground  in  various  ways.  They  get  three  crops  in 
a  year  of  rice  or  potatoes.  It  looked  singular  to  see  females  at  work 
on  the  land,  with  bare  feet  and  bare  legs,  broad-brimmed  hats,  like 
shields,  of  basket-work,  short  frocks,  and  short  pants.  They  keep 
the  fields,  by  irrigation,  covered  with  water  to  the  depth  of  two  or 
three  inches,  which  extends  back  from  the  marsh  to  the  hills.  We 
visited  the  fort,  which  commences  in  the  midst  of  the  town,  and 
extends  back  to  a  point  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill  behind.  The  wall 
was  about  twelve  feet  thick  and  twenty-five  in  height,  being  made  by 
erecting  two  parallel  walls,  and  filling  the  space  between  with  dirt. 
At  intervals  and  at  the  angles  little  towers  are  built  in  the  wall, 
within  which  a  gun  is  mounted.  The  people  stared  at  us  consider- 
ably, but  did  nothing  to  molest  us.  On  our  return  I  stopped  at  and 
rambled  over  a  small  rocky  island.  Here  were  immense  rocks  under- 
mined by  the  washing  of  the  sea,  some  of  which  were  fallen  over  and 
separated  into  parts.  I  brought  away  some  curiosities,  and  found 
there  two  idols,  which  had  been  washed  ashore  and  partially  buried 
among  the  rocks. 

Saturday,  April  21s/.  —  Took  a  walk  after  dinner  with  Mr.  Menne- 
ken  to  "  Happy  Valley."  Here  is  the  race-ground  where  gentlemen 
and  ladies  resort  to  ride  on  horseback.  Many  were  there  this  evening, 
among  whom  I  saw  the  governor  and  his  lady. 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 


216  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 


LETTER    TO    DR.    F. 

Hong-Kong,  April  22d. 

MY  DEAR  DR.  F.  :  The  mail  leaves  earlier  this  month  than 
usual,  and  is  going  in  a  few  days.  Very  little  of  importance  has 
occurred  during  the  month.  The  Chinese  were  firing  crackers  here 
on  the  evening  of  the  6th  inst.,  —  I  suppose  on  account  of  the  tem- 
porary victory  which  they  had  gained  in  maintaining  closed  gates  on 
that  day.  Everything  is  quiet  at  Canton,  though,  for  several  days, 
appearances  indicated  that  it  would  take  very  little  to  cause  an  out- 
break. The  Chinese  are  naturally  so  jealous  and  excitable  that  it 
would  not  be  surprising  to  hear  at  any  time  that  a  mob  of  several 
thousand  men  had  collected  about  the  factories,  though,  two  hours 
before,  there  might  be  no  sign  of  any  disturbance. 

Among  Su's  preparations  for  the  defence  of  the  forts  he  is  said  to 
have  had  twenty  thousand  bags  of  quick-lime  procured,  to  throw 
into  the  eyes  of  the  English  soldiers,  should  they  attempt  to  scale 
the  walls ;  also  twenty  thousand  bags  of  cotton  placed  as  a  breast- 
work on  the  walls.  It  would  seem  from  the  official  despatches  that 
the  authorities  are  not  as  much  in  favor  of  opening  the  gales  as  they 
appear  to  be.  I  send  you  a  copy  of  the  emperor's  edict  from 
Pekin,  which  was  addressed  to  Su,  the  governor  at  Canton.  Forty 
thousand  copies  were  circulated  among  the  Chinese  in  the  city,  and 
Su  sent  the  English  plenipotentiary  one,  which  is  as  follows : 

"  Walled  cities  are  erected  with  the  view  of  protecting  the  people  ; 
and  by  protecting  the  people  only  can  the  country  be  preserved. 
And  that  to  which  the  hearts  of  the  people  incline  is  the  will  of 
Heaven.  Now,  since  the  people  of  Kwang-tung  (Canton)  are  all  of 
one  fixed  opinion,  in  being  averse  to  the  entrance  of  foreigners  into 
the  city,  shall  we  circulate  and  post  up  a  luminous  proclamation, 
transcribed  on  yellow  paper,*  constraining  them  to  the  opposite 
course  ?  The  Chinese  government  cannot  thwart  the  inclinations  of 
its  people  in  order  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  strangers  from  afar  ; 
and  foreign  governments  ought  also  to  pay  attention  to  the  wishes  of 
our  people,  and  spare  the  power  of  the  merchants.  You  ought  still 
more  rigorously  to  guard  against  native  banditti,  and  prevent  these 
from  availing  themselves  of  the  opportunity  for  creating  disturbances, 
and  throwing  the  inhabitants  into  a  state  of  disorder.  And  as  the 
foreign  merchants,  who  come  from  a  great  distance  across  the  vast 
ocean,  undoubtedly  desire  to  live  jn  tranquillity,  and  take  delight  in 
their  occupations,  you  ought,  therefore,  to  render  them  protection  in 
the  same  manner.  Thus  all  will  forever  rest  in  harmony,  and  enjoy 
universal  tranquillity.  Respect  this." 

Governor  Su  remarks,  in  the  despatch  which  he  sent : 

"  You  will  perceive,  from  the  foregoing,  that  the  language  I  held 
during  the  personal  conference  I  had  with  you  was  not  based  on  an 

*  Imperial  edicts  are  addressed  directly  to  the  people  in  this  manner,  on 
yellow  paper. 


HOND-KONa. PUNISHMENT   OF    CHINESE   OFFENDERS.         217 

obstinate  adherence  to  my  own  views,  but  that  the  Imperial  Rescript 
•which  I  have  received  from  a  distance  also  corresponds  with  the  views 
of  the  public. 

"  For  this  reason,  I  send  you  a  communication,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  take  the  opportunity  of  wishing  you  happiness  and  tranquillity. 

"  A  necessary  communication." 

With  relation  to  the  former  part  of  the  emperor's  edict,  where  he 
asserts,  "  And  that  to  which  the  hearts  of  the  people  incline  is  the 
will  of  Heaven,"  I  would  say  that,  according  to  my  ideas,  that  to 
which  the  hearts  of  the  Chinese  people  incline  is  more  the  acquisition 
of  money  than  any  other  object ;  and,  to  accomplish  this,  they  will 
resort  to  cheating,  stealing,  lying,  robbing,  murdering,  and  the  most 
debasing  practices.  This,  of  course,  they  consider  as  the  will  of  Heaven. 
They  do  not  understand  how  anything  can  be  done  to  promote 
another's  interest  unless  they  are  to  be  paid  for  it  in  money.  I  think 
that  my  boy's  heart  is  inclining  somewhat  towards  me  ;  for,  this 
morning,  before  I  was  up,  and  while  apparently  asleep,  I  saw  him 
trying  the  lock  of  my  trunk  with  some  ot  his  keys. 

The  authorities  at  Canton,  on  account  of  the  anticipated  difficulties 
in  regard  to  the  gates,  have  been  pretty  severe  with  some  of  their 
people  during  this  month  and  the  last.  A  Chinese  builder  had  a 
contract  with  an  American  to  build  the  church,  which,  I  believe,  he 
had  been  engaged  in  for  some  time,  and  had  not  finished.  He  was 
seized,  bastinadoed,  and  died  soon  after.  The  crime  alleged  was 
breaking  the  Chinese  rules,  —  that  is,  by  working  for  the  "bar- 
barians," which  had  been  prohibited.  Another  Chinaman  bought 
some  cotton  yarn  of  an  American  house,  and,  on  taking  it  away,  was 
stopped  by  some  of  the  members  of  the  cotton  guild  or  compact,  and 
compelled  to  carry  it  back  again,  although  he  was  not  a  member  of 
the  guild,  or  in  any  way  connected  with  them.  However,  they 
accused  him  of  smuggling,  or  of  having  broken  their  rules ;  and  he 
was  arrested,  severely  beaten,  and  finally  died  under  torture. 

Some  Chinese  artists,  who  were  sketching  some  of  the  city  streets, 
were  arrested  under  the  supposition  that  they  were  employed  by 
the  Europeans  to  furnish  them  with  drawings  of  the  city.  They 
were  taken  to  the  torture,  where  they  denied  that  they  were  thus 
employed,  or  had  any  connection  with  Europeans.  Yet 'they  were 
imprisoned,  and  sentenced  to  death,  in  case  there  should  be  a  war 
with  England.  If  no  war  takes  place,  they  are  to  be  discharged  ; 
thus  their  guilt  or  innocence  is  to  be  established  by  the  contingency 
of  a  war,  —  they  believing  the  case  to  be  justly  decided,  that  they 
were  giving  the  artists  an  impartial  judgment ;  and  the  condemned 
artists  themselves  may  perhaps  consider  their  trial  just,  and  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  judges  to  be  magnanimous. 

Gangs  of  banditti  are  very  numerous  in  and  about  Canton.  The 
wealthy  Chinese  are  obliged  to  hire  "  braves  "  (the  troops)  to  take 
care  of  their  property.  One  man  has  hired  and  pays  seven  hundred 
men  for  this  purpose.  The  number  of*banditti  is  stated  to  be  up- 
wards of  eight  thousand.  They  move  about  from  place  to  place,  and 
19 


218  '    CIIINA   AND   MANILLA. 

plunder  in  regularly  organized  bands.  People  send  their  valuables 
from  the  country  into  the  city,  considering  that  they  will  be  safer 
inside  than  outside  the  walls.  Su,  with  a  large  body  of  men,  has 
gone  into  the  country  to  break  up  one  desperate  band  of  them  ;  so 
that  there  are  plenty  of  robbers  here  on  land,  as  well  as  on  the  water. 

April  25th.  —  The  mail  leaves  this  morning.  It  is  reported  that,  a 
few  days  previous  to  the  6th  of  April,  Su,  the  governor  of  Canton, 
visited  Hong-Kong  in  disguise,  making  all  the  examinations  that  he 
desired  with  regard  to  the  affairs  of  the  English,  without  being 
detected.  It  appears  by  the  report  that,  had  Canton  been  attacked 
by  the  English,  the  Chinese  were  to  have  made  a  simultaneous  attack 
on  Hong-Kong,  and  would  have  received  reinforcements  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  harbor. 

You  see  that  I  have  not  gone  to  Shanghae  yet.  I  have  been  hesi- 
tating whether  to  go  at  all,  but  have  about  concluded  that  I  will  go 
soon.  It  happened  fortunately  for  me  that  I  did  not  go  last  fall, 
as  I  had  some  thought  of  doing  ;  for,  unfortunately  for  others,  sev- 
eral vessels  were  lost  at  that  time.  Mr.  Nye,  brother-in-law  of  Mr. 
Bush,  the  U.  S.  consul,  has  not  been  heard  from,  nor  the  vessel  in 
which  he  embarked.  His  friends  here  have  nearly  given  up  all  hopes 
of  him.  Yours,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 


Hong-Kong,  Sunday,  April  2§th.  —  This  is  the  first  that  I  have  sat 
up  since  Tuesday,  when  I  had  an  attack  of  bilious  cholera,  which 
was  violent  and  very  painful. 

Yesterday,  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  a  missionary  here,  came  in  to  see 
me,  and  was  quite  surprised  to  find  me  sick.  He  sent  me  some  milk, 
—  real  cow's  milk,  and  American  cow's  milk,  —  the  greatest 
luxury  I  have  yet  tasted  here  ;  so  it  seemed  at  the  time.  The  cow 
was  brought  from  America  by  Rev.  Mr.  D.,  and  supplies  the  milk 
to  their  families.  » 

Monday,  April  3Qth.  —  Called  this  morn,  at  half-past  seven,  at  the 
residence  of  Rev.  Messrs.  Dean  and  Johnson,  and  breakfasted  with 
the  family,  confining  myself  to  the  simple  and  nourishing  diet  of 
Indian  pudding  and  milk.  Met  Rev.  Mr.  Loomis  there,  and  an 
English  missionary.  Mr.  L.  and  I  held  quite  a  long  conversation 
respecting  the  Seaman's  Bethel  he  had  in  construction  at  Whampoa. 
Resumed  some  professional  engagements,  but  was  not  able  to  be  out 
much. 

Tuesday,  May  1st.  —  1  have  been  miserably  sick  all  day,  and  while 
gazing  out  of  the  window  at  dusk,  watching  the  heavy  clouds  as 
they  were  borne  swiftly  westward,  I  said  to  myself,  "  I  wish  I  was 
going  the  same  way." 


LEAVING    FOR    SHANGUAE.  219 

The  police  made  a  fine  haul  of  pirates  yesterday,  capturing  eight 
boats,  or  junks,  over  forty  men,  and  thirty  pieces  of  cannon.  Many 
other  pirates  escaped  ashore  and  fled.  I  called  at  Mr.  Bush's  thia 
evening,  where  I  met  several  friends,  passing  a  few  hours  very  pleas- 
antly. 

Thursday,  May  3rf.  —  I  rose  at  six,  and  took  breakfast  with  the 
Rev.  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Dean.  I  have  a  standing  invitation  there 
while  recruiting  my  health.  I  am  somewhat  better,  and  the  weather 
is  quite  hot.  I  am  in  doubt  and  perplexity  how  to  move  or  act, 
or  whether  to  proceed  in  any  direction,  or  to  stand  still.  I  feel  too 
much  prostration  to  make  any  particular  effort  of  mind  or  body 
towards  a  decision.  I  should  like  to  go  up  the  coast,  and  visit  other 
Chinese  cities  —  Shanghae,  Ningpoo,  &c.  I  should  like  to  go  to  Java, 
Calcutta,  up  the  Red  Sea  to  Cairo,  and  across  Europe  home.  I 
should  like  to  make  a  trip  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  California. 
I  should  like  to  make  a  visit  to  JapJin ;  and  I  should  like  to  find 
myself  in  Manilla  again,  and  make  an  extensive  journey  through  the 
country,  and  see  various  friends  there. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

LEAVE    FOR    SUANGHAE. NINEPIN    ISLAND.  ANNOYANCES     FROM    COCK- 
ROACHES.    ISLAND     OF    FORMOSA. CHUSAN    ISLANDS. YANTZ-TZE- 

KIANG    RIVER.  WOOSUNG. ARRIVAL   AT    SHANGHAE. 

SATURDAY,  May  5th.  —  The  "Pacific,"  Captain  Swain,  left  this 
morning  early  for  California,  taking  Messrs.  Baker,  Anthon,  and 
Meredith,  as  passengers.  So  many  of  my  acquaintance  are  going,  it 
seems  that  soon  there  will  be  none  left  whom  I  shall  know  here. 

Dined  at  Mr.  Rawle's.  Called  on  board  the  "  Dart,"  with  friends, 
to  see  Captain  Porter  ;  talked  a  little  of  going  up  to  Shanghae  with 
him.  Tea  at  Mr.  Bush's,  where  I  met  Captain  Watkins  and  wife 
and  Mr.  Williams,  and  there  concluded  to  go  up  in  the  "  Dart  "  to 
Shanghae,  which  sails  to-morrow  morning.  Mr.  Bush  kindly  offered 
to  give  me  letters.  It  is  my  intention,  by  going  now,  to  return  before 
the  typhoon  season  commences,  which  is  in  July  and  August. 


220  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

Captain  W.  leaves,  with  his  wife  and  MissR.,  on  Monday,  also 
for  Shanghae,  so  that  we  shall  be  in  two  vessels  not  far  apart,  and, 
perhaps,  in  company. 

Sunday,  May  (Jth.  — My  boy  "  Assam,"  seeing  my  trunks  packed, 
came  to  me  with  a  wonder-stricken  countenance,  and,  looking  me 
earnestly  in  the  face,  said, 

"  To-day  you  go  way  some  place  ?  " 

"  Yes!  "  I  said,  "  Shanghae." 

Then  wishing  to  know  if  I  wanted  him  to  go  with  me,  and  on  my 
answering  "  No  !  "  he  said, 

"  More  better,  makee-pay  my  littee  wagey  "  (the  balance  of  his 
wages) . 

I  informed  him  that  I  could  not  pay  him  until  he  found  my  tooth- 
extracting  instruments,  which  had  lately  disappeared  ;  and  that  I  had 
given  the  money  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  M.,  to  pay  him  when  they 
were  found.  The  boy  was  satisfied,  and  said, 

"  Very  well." 

I  did  not  know  whom  to  suspect,  the  boy,  or  senor,  who  was  dressed 
in  the  garb  of  a  gentleman,  and  who  was  the  only  person  in  the 
room  at  the  time  they  were  lost.  After  a  few  weeks,  the  boy  being 
unable  to  find  the  instruments,  the  wages  were  paid  to  him. 

I  got  my  baggage  on  board,  calling  at  Mr.  B.'s  for  letters,  and  at 
other  places  on  the  way. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  "  Dart  "  moved  off  before  a  gentle  breeze, 
with  two  passengers  —  Mr.  Trotter,  clerk  in  the  court  at  Hong-Kong, 
and  myself.  We  had  a  beautiful  sail  out  of  the  harbor,  passing  high 
lands  on  both  sides  of  us,  but  mostly  barren  of  vegetation.  Here 
and  there  a  solitary  house  appeared  in  the  midst  of  a  few  stunted 
trees,  or  behind  masses  of  rocks.  The  English  barracks  also  could 
be  seen,  though  nearly  concealed  from  view  by  the  hills.  Now  we 
are  bound  on  a  voyage,  somewhere  within  a  thousand  miles,  up  the 
coast  of  China,  to  Shanghae.  At  nine  in  the  evening  we  stood  off 
the  "  Nine-Pin  "  Island. 

Coast  of  China,  for  Shanghae,  Monday,  May  7th.  — Last  night  at 
nine  I  went  to  rest  on  the  transom,  and  had  lain  there  but  a  few 
minutes  when  I  felt  a  nibbling  at  one  of  my  toes.  Raising  myself 
up  carefully,  expecting  to  find  a  mouse,  I  saw  a  large  cockroach 
busily  engaged  in  eating  the  nail ;  but  it  slunk  quickly  away  on 
being  discovered.  Those  acquainted  say  that  during  the  night  these 


COCKROACHES   ON    SHIPBOARD.  221 

insects  stealthily  eat  off  the  nails  from  the  hands  and  feet,  and  some- 
times so  closely  as  to  cause  bleeding.  They  began  to  make  their 
appearance  early  this  evening,  coming  out  simultaneously  from  all 
parts  of  the  cabin.  Believing  that  it  was  me  they  were  after,  I  gave 
battle  at  once,  killing  a  considerable  number,  and  dispersing  the 
others  ;  but,  as  soon  as  it  was  still,  they  appeared  again.  I  then 
took  my  blanket  and  pillow,  and,  going  on  deck,  laid  down  in  the 
open  air,  and  slept  very  finely.  These  cockroaches  are  about  the  sizo 
of  large  crickets,  and  are  disgusting-looking  insects,  having  an  odor 
similar  to  assafoetida,  which  they  leave  wherever  they  pass.  They 
run  very  fast,  and  make  a  noise  like  dry  leaves,  or  a  rattling  sound, 
as  if  their  legs  were  made  of  slips  of  dry  wood,  full  of  joints,  striking 
against  each  other. 

With  a  very  fair  wind  we  kept  in  sight  of  the  coast,  till  about  four 
p.  M.  ;  when  at  dinner  a  squall  came  up,  the  wind  veered  to  nearly 
ahead,  and  we  were  obliged  to  change  to  the  eastward.  We  are  now 
sailing  towards  Formosa,  instead  of  keeping  the  direct  course. 
"  Pedro  Blanco  "  (White  Peter),  a  large,  high  rock,  rising  out  of  the 
water,  we  passed  within  a  short  distance,  and  left  it  astern  this  after- 
noon. 

Tuesday,  May  8th.  —  It  is  one  year  to-day  since  I  left  home.  I 
have  read  some  in  surgery,  and  from  the  "  Last  Days  of  Pompeii." 
Captain  Porter  sets  an  eKcellent  table,  has  the  best  of  everything,  fresh 
meat,  vegetables,  nice  fresh  bread,  &c.,  which  is  well  served  up.  I 
never  was  on  board  of  a  vessel  where  the  fare  was  better.  He  tells 
us  to  call  on  the  boys  for  anything  we  wish  to  eat,  drink,  or  have 
done,  and  at  any  time. 

Thursday,  May  10th.  —  The  breakfast  hour  is  eight,  although 
when  I  sleep  on  deck  I  am  up  at  sunrise.  Mr.  T.  and  I  keep  on  our 
backs  below,  on  the  transom,  —  not  really  sick,  but  so  near  that  it 
is  almost  as  bad.  I  have  no  energy  or  strength,  and  my  head  is 
giddy  when  I  attempt  to  sit  up. 

At  noon  the  captain  said  that  we  were  getting  too  far  south,  and 
he  tacked  to  the  north-west.  With  head  winds  and  heavy  sea,  the 
water  continually  breaks  over  the  bows  of  the  vessel  to-day,  it  being 
pretty  rough.  We  can  discern  rocks  and  islands  in  the  distance. 
These  are  the  Bashee  Islands,  which  are  inhabited  by  Indians.  Just 
at  night,  while  standing  and  looking  at  the  land  in  sight,  a  sea  came 
on  board,  drenching  us  all.  I  think  I  was  the  worst  served  ;  for  I 
19* 


222  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

had  to  change  all  my  clothing.  Notwithstanding  the  salt-water  pickle, 
we  all  laughed  heartily  at  each  other.  If  a  person  gets  a  splash 
over  him,  he  is  laughed  at  by  sailors  ;  no  matter  what  his  importance 
may  be,  it  will  not  save  him. 

In  the  evening  we  saw  a  light  ashore  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles 
or  more,  which  looked  very  pretty,  as  it  shone  up  into  the  sky. 
Goat  Island  was  plainly  seen. 

Friday,  May  lllh.  —  The  island  of  Formosa  appeared  this  morning. 
At  twelve  we  were  within  a  few  miles,  tacking  on  and  off  the  shore. 
The  wind  holding  north-east,  we  were  obliged  to  go  outside  of  the 
island.  The  land  is  very  high,  looking  from  the  water  rather  pic- 
turesque. It  appears  to  be  partly  under  cultivation.  We  could  see, 
indistinctly,  several  of  the  native  dwellings.  It  is  slow  progress 
beating  up  the  coast  in  this  way,  wind  all  the  time  ahead.  It  rains 
this  evening,  which  obliged  me  to  give  up  the  deck  and  take  to  my 
berth  at  midnight. 

Saturday,  May  12th.  —  Here  we  are,  running  up  the  eastern  coast 
of  Formosa,  as  well  as  we  can.  The  winds  are  still  unfavorable,  and 
we  are  standing  off  and  on  the  land,  alternately,  about  eight  hours 
each.  If  the  ship's  path  was  to  be  described,  it  would  represent  the 
teeth  of  a  large  saw.  As  we  approach  the  shore  the  land  is  green,  and 
rises  in  a  variety  of  shapes,  with  an  aspect  quite  interesting.  The 
hills  and  mountains  appear  to  be  tumbled  together,  with  no  regard 
to  order,  one  on  another.  On  this  part  of  the  island  we  can  dis- 
cover no  signs  of  habitations,  though  on  the  side  next  to  China  the 
inhabitants  number  two  millions.  The  natives  are  a  race  similar  to 
the  Chinese,  formerly  originating  from  them. 

A  part  of  the  island  is  subject  to  China ;  and  the  other  part,  mostly 
interior  and  very  mountainous,  has  never  been  subdued.  The  natives 
are  said  to  be  very  hostile  and  treacherous ;  any  unfortunate  foreigners 
getting  ashore  are  immediately  taken  prisoners,  and  what  becomes 
of  them  is  not  known. 

Sunday,  May  IZth.  —  We 'again  made  the  land  of  Formosa  early 
this  morning.  The  fresh  green  slopes  looked  very  inviting,  and  I 
should  not  hesitate,  with  a  few  of  the  crew,  to  go  ashore.  I  would 
much  like  to  explore  the  deep  ravines  between  the  mountains  and  the 
valleys,  &c.  We  saw  smoke  rising  from  one  spot,  which  was  the 
only  sign  of  habitation  to  be  seen. 

All  day  the  vessel  has  been  rolling  with  a  sluggish  motion  to  the  sea- 
swells.  In  the  evening  a  fine  breeze  sprung  up,  and  we  were  off  again. 


WOOSUNG. YANTZ-TZE-KIANG   RIVER.  223 

Blue  Sea,  coast  of  China,  Monday,  14th. — I  slept  on  deck,  and 
was  up  at  sunrise.  The  others  on  board  do  not  like  to  trust  them- 
selves there,  so  that  I  have  it  all  to  myself.  Formosa  has  disappeared, 
and  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  the  boundless  ocean. 

Wednesday,  May  16th.  —  We  have  been  becalmed  all  day,  and 
must  wait  patiently.  Saw  a  group  of  islands  on  our  left,  about 
twenty  miles  from  the  main  land.  The  weather  is  mild  and  favorable, 
and  the  surface  of  the  water  is  smooth,  though  the  sea  swells  with 
gentle  undulations. 

Thursday,  May  17th.  —  Saw  several  islands  in  the  distance,  towards 
the  shore  on  our  left.  They  appeared  like  large  hay-stacks,  and 
prove  to  be  the  "  Chusan  Islands."  Had  a  beautiful  day's  sail, 
though  we  made  but  little  progress  against  the  light  head-winds. 

Mr.  T.  was  very  sick  all  day  with  bilious  colic.  I  attended  him  as 
much  as  possible,  and  prescribed  what  seemed  to  be  necessary.  He 
suffered  much,  not  being  free  from  pain  during  the  night.  I  gave 
him  medicine  every  twenty-five  minutes,  and  sought  by  every  available 
means  to  relieve  him ;  still  the  pain  was  severe,  inducing  nausea,  and 
the  stomach  rejected  every  antidote  in  a  few  minutes  after  being 
taken.  We  are  happy  to  see  him  much  better  this  evening. 

Friday,  May  18th.  —  This  morning  early  the  "  Fisherman's  Chain  " 
(numerous  islands)  had  a  very  pretty  appearance  as  we  wound  along 
through  them,  reminding  me  of  those  in  the  harbor  of  Boston.  We 
passed  the  English  brig-of-war  "  Mariner,"  from  Shanghae,  about 
noon.  The  water  is  very  yellow,  though  some  miles  from  Shanghae. 
The  broad  Yantz-tze-kiang  empties  itself  here,  and  appears  as  much 
like  the  sea  as  a  river.  Being  very  large  and  long,  it  carries,  mingled 
in  its  waters,  a  great  quantity  of  yellow  mud,  which  gives  the  yellow 
coloring.  The  Yellow  Sea  and  Yellow  river,  a  little  further  up  the 
coast,  receive  their  names  from  this  coloring  of  the  water. 

It  is  now  evening,  and  we  are  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Woosung, 
in  the  Yantz-tze-kiang  river.  This  place  is  about  twelve  miles  from 
Shanghae,  and  is  the  anchorage  for  vessels  which  are  too  large  to 
proceed  up  the  Woosung  river  ;  being  to  Shanghae  what  Whampoa  is 
to  Canton.  Shanghae  lies  on  the  Woosung  river,  twelves  miles  further 
in  the  country  ;  and  Woosung  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
rivers,  about  forty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Yantz-tze-kiang.  I 
have  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  the  receiving-ship  of  Messrs.  Russell 
&  Co.,  which  lies  next  to  us,  a  little  way  down  the  river.  Captain 
Endicott,  of  Messrs.  Heard  &  Co.'s  receiving-ship,  called  and  took  us 


224  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

on  board  in  his  boat.  We  took  tea  there  with  Captain  Roundy, 
meeting  Mr.  Ford  and  other  officers  of  the  "  Plymouth,"  and  spent  a 
very  agreeable  evening  with  our  countrymen.  Captain  Bush  after- 
wards took  the  boat  and  returned  me  to  the  "  Dart." 

About  fifty  miles  out  we  passed  Gutslaff  Island,  meeting  on  the  way 
many  junks,  moving  in  every  direction.  They  are  great,  coarse,  shabby, 
ugly-looking  deformities  in  the  shape  of  vessels.  One  English  ship  wo 
saw  ashore,  having  gone  too  far  on  the  flats.  With  the  spy-glass  I 
could  discern  near  the  shore,  for  many  miles,  a  line  of  embankments, 
which  I  took  to  be  the  fortifications  of  the  Chinese  ;  and,  very  near,  a 
line  of  trees,  green  and  thick  with  foliage,  forming  a  dense  hedge ; 
and  now  and  then,  interspersed,  very  large,  high  trees,  with  wide- 
spreading  branches.  From  this  a  green  slope  extended  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  dotted  with  buffaloes  grazing.  Behind  the  bank  could 
occasionally  be  seen  a  rusty-looking  Chinese  building. 

At  one  time,  with  the  glass,  I  discovered  near  the  shore  what  looked 
.  like  crows  of  large  size,  mounted  on  long  legs,  with  outspread  wings, 
wading  through  the  shallow  surf.  Some  time  afterwards  I  found  the 
orows  had  become  men,  and  they  proved  to  be  Chinese  fishermen,  with 
black  nets  spread  on  frames,  and  held  out  on  each  side.  I  also 
learned  that  the  long  lines  of  supposed  fortifications  were  simply 
dykes,  built  to  protect  the  people  against  inundations,  as  the  land  is 
extremely  low.  Yet  the  dykes  had  guns  mounted  on  them,  which 
gave  them  the  appearance  of  fortifications.  On  both  sides,  at  Woo- 
sung,  these  dykes  stretch  along  for  miles. 

As  we  came  in  we  passed  the  "  Plymouth,"  U.  S.  N.,  lying  at 
anchor.  She  sent  off  an  officer,  with  a  boat,  to  board  us,  to  get  any 
letters  or  news  we  might  have  for  their  company.  The  captain  says, 

"  Be  ready  there,  one  of  you,  to  throw  out  a  rope  as  the  boat  cornea 
up." 

The  man  took  his  station.  We  were  driving  through  the  water  at 
a  rapid  rate  just  at  this  time,  with  a  strong  wind,  yet  with  several 
sails  taken  in.  The  boat  was  steering  at  a  right  angle  with  us,  as  if 
to  cross  our  course  ahead.  As  we  came  up  she  was  close  to,  and, 
rounding  up  with  a  sweep,  was  alongside.  The  rope  was  promptly 
thrown,  and  quickly  caught  and  held  by  three  or  four  of  the  boat's 
crew  ;  but  the  boat  was  so  near,  and  was  drawn  with  such  rapidity 
through  the  water,  that  it  filled  and  capsized,  and  they  all  were  sub- 
merged in  the  water.  Our  vessel  was  brought  to,  and  a  boat  lowered 
for  their  assistance.  They  were  a  long  way  astern  before  the  boat 


WOOSUNG    RIVER. S1IANGHAE.  225 

reached  them,  but  kept  themselves  afloat  by  holding  on  to  the  sides 
of  the  boat,  which  appeared  with  the  bottom-side  up.  The  "  Plym- 
outh," looking  on,  sent  another  boat  and  picked  them  up,  and  they 
all  safely  returned  to  their  ship.  We  have  made  the  passage  up  in 
twelve  days,  which  is  considered  an  excellent  run  for  the  season. 

Sunday,  May  2Qth.  —  About  eight  A.  M.  we  got  under  way  for 
Shanghae.  Captain  E.  came  on  board  and  went  with  us.  As  we 
were  leaving  we  discerned  through  the  trees,  over  a  point  of  land, 
the  white  sails  of  the  "  Antelope  "  (Captain  Watkins),  just  coming 
in.  Captain  P.  seems  well  satisfied  at  having  beaten  her,  as  she  is 
considered  the  fastest-sailing  vessel.  We  are  now  sailing  up  the 
Woosung  river,  tacking  from  side  to  side,  with  head  winds.  Numerous 
Chinese  junks  are  on  all  sides  of  us,  some  going  up  stream,  some 
down,  and  others  at  anchor.  The  "  Ann  Eliza,"  an  English  brig, 
has  just  run  into  one,  carrying  away  her  own  jib-boom.  There  goes 
her  anchor,  and  she  is  obliged  to  haul  up  to  extricate  herself  from  the 
snarl  and  repair  damages. 

We  are  now  within  about  four  miles  of  Shanghae,  and  can  easily 
distinguish  the  single  foreign  residences  from  the  Chinese  mass.  The 
fine,  large,  commanding  houses,  of  European  construction,  contrast 
like  hotels  by  the  side  of  the  rusty,  shed-like  structures  of  the  Chinese. 
Beyond,  on  the  river,  can  be  seen  a  forest  of  the  masts  of  junks,  and 
of  the  few  foreign  vessels  there.  With  my  eye  to  the  spy-glass, 
coursing  up  and  down  and  over  the  low  banks,  the  scenery  of  the 
country,  with  its  uneven  flats  covered  by  a  beautiful  green  verdure,  is 
quite  attractive  and  refreshing  after  a  number  of  days  at  sea.  Still 
there  is  much  sameness  between  this  and  that  near  Canton,  except 
that  there  is  more  of  country  and  less  of  city  here  to  be  seen.  We 
notice  along  the  edges  of  the  river  several  old  Chinese  batteries,  which 
have  been  partially  destroyed  during  the  English  war. 

At  two  o'clock  P.  M.  we  arrived  at  Shanghae,  but  expected  to  have 
been  up  at  noon,  or  before.  Our  voyage  ended,  Mr.  T.  and  I  took 
one  of  the  curious  red  sculling  Chinese  boats  and  went  ashore,  separ- 
ating on  the  jetty,  each  to  our  respective  course.  Directed  by  the 
stars  and  stripes  floating  above  the  American  Consulate,  I  went  in, 
and  delivered  my  letters  to  Mr.  Griswold,  the  consul.  He  received 
me  with  an  openness  of  manner,  and  kind,  hospitable  cordiality,  which 
made  me  forget  that  I  was  in  a  strange  place  ;  and,  engaging  in  con- 
versation, I  almost  fancied  myself  at  home. 

On  being  introduced  to  Dr.  Hall,  we  were  both  surprised  each  to 


226  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

recognize  in  the  other  a  familiar  countenance,  and  we  almost  as  soon 
remembered  that  we  had  met  many  times  before  in  the  lecture-rooms 
of  the  Boston  Medical  School.  It  was  very  pleasant  so  accidentally 
to  meet  a  familiar  face  so  far  from  home,  after  a  separation  of  several 
years,  and  it  afforded  us  an  interesting  subject  of  conversation. 

After  accepting  Mr.  G.'s  invitation  to  return  and  dine  with  them,  I 
went  and  surprised  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baylies  by  my  sudden  appearance 
there.  I  soon  found  that  I  was  to  remain  their  guest  while  in  Shang- 
hae,  and  I  was  made  welcome  to  a  room  in  their  house  and  a  seat  at 
their  table.  As  there  are  no  hotels  in  Shanghae,  a  stranger  is  under 
the  necessity  of  quartering  on  some  of  the  residents,  among  whom 
generosity  and  hospitality  seem  never  to  be  wanting. 

I  returned  and  dined  at  Mr.  G.'s,  meeting  Mr.  Cunningham  and 
several  other  Americans  at  the  table ;  and  I  enjoyed  the  occasion 
much.  I  begin  to  think  Americans  are  to  be  found  in  every  part  of 
the  world.  If  I  should  go  to  Pekin  or  Kamtschatka,  I  should  expect 
to  find  Americans  already  at  each  place.  Mr.  G.  gave  us  the  hours 
of  breakfast,  dinner  and  tea,  with  an  invitation  to  come  in  without 
ceremony  at  any  time,  when  disposed. 

Towards  evening  I  met  with  Mr.  Clark,  a  former  acquaintance  in 
Boston,  and  who  walked  out  with  me  to  see  the  place.  He  said  that 
he  was  looking  through  a  spy-glass  and  saw  me  land,  and  recognized 
me  at  once.  He  came  out  in  the  same  vessel  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B., 
and  inquired  for  Dr.  F.  and  others  of  Boston.  We  walked  around 
among  the  European  residences,  and  a  portion  of  the  Chinese  habita- 
tions. Almost  every  lot  of  land  that  we  came  to  belonging  to  the 
Chinese  had  a  tomb  on  it.  We  passed  the  English  chapel  and  the 
European  graveyard.  The  land  is  very  low  in  Shanghae,  and  is 
generally  wet,  and  always  damp.  I  stopped  at  and  saw  Dr.  H.'a 
house,  which  he  is  building.  There  is  quite  a  large  and  pretty  garden 
attached  to  it,  and  many  vegetables  and  flowers  are  growing.  I  met 
Mr.  Graves,  a  brother  to  Captain  G.,  with  whom  I  came  out  from 
Boston.  I  called  at  his  rooms  a  while,  and  then  came  back  to  tea  at 
Mr.  Baylies',  where  I  had  a  long  talk  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  of  friends 
and  events  at  home. 

Shanghae,  Monday,  May  21st.  —  Mr.  B.  occupies  a  part  of  the 
large  building  formerly  the  hotel.  The  citizens  are  so  hospitable 
towards  strangers  that  a  hotel  cannot  be  sustained,  and  now  they 
have  none.  I  called  on  Dr.  H.  this  forenoon,  and  had  a  long  con- 
versation about  the  Medical  School  and  affairs  at  Boston.  It  rained 


SHANGHAE.  A    NEW   BOY.  227 

most  of  the  day,  and  in  the  evening  I  recounted  to  the  family  some 
of  my  adventures  in  Manilla.  Nearly  the  whole  of  last  night  I 
battled  the  mosquitoes,  there  being  no  net  to  the  bed  ;  which,  to  say 
the  least,  was  not  interesting. 

Tuesday,  May  22d.  —  Had  a  mosquito-net  put  upon  my  bed.  "We 
had  hard  ruin,  with  thunder  and  lightning,  through  the  night;  the 
rain  continuing  through  the  day.  I  met  with  quite  a  party  of 
Americans  at  Mr.  G.'s  in  the  evening. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

NEW    BOY. DR.    LOCKHART'S     HOSPITAL.  —  WALK     INTO    THE    CITY.  

VISITS    WITH    SEDAN-CHAIRS. LOSS     OF    VESSELS. MISSIONARIES. 

COUNTRY     AROUND     SHANGHAE.  LETTER      TO     A      SISTER.  CHINESE 

LADIES,   ETC. 

WEDNESDAY,  May  23«?.  — It  is  still  raining  most  of  the  day.  This 
evening  read  the  American  papers  and  played  at  checkers.  Yester- 
day Mr.  B.  sent  out  to  get  me  a  "  boy,"  and  to-day  one  came  ;  but  I 
did  not  fancy  him,  he  is  such  a  big,  over-mature  fellow.  When  he 
first  appeared,  and  told  me  that  he  had  come  to  be  my  boy,  I  thought 
it  would  have  been  nearer  if  he  had  said  man ;  for  he  was,  I  should 
have  supposed,  upwards  of  forty  years  old.  He  seemed  to  have  fixed 
himself  up  nicely,  for  a  Chinaman,  —  his  head  being  freshly  shaved 
bald,  his  long  black  queue  braided  out  with  silk  till  it  nearly  reached 
the  ground,  a  clean  white  frock  on,  reaching  below  his  knees,  with 
white  leggins,  and  large,  clumsy  shoes,  and  a  fan  in  his  hand.  He 
is  so  much  older  than  myself,  and  so  dignified  in  his  demeanor,  I 
almost  fancy  that  I  ought  to  wait  on  him,  instead  of  he  on  me  :  but  I 
shall  endeavor  not  to  make  the  mistake. 

Thursday,  May  24th.  —  Dr.  H.  called,  and  we  went  out  to  Mr. 
Robinson's  and  Mr.Walcott's,  American  merchants,  and  then  to  Dr. 
Lockhart's,  an  English  missionary-physician.  We  found  all  to  be 
very  agreeable  people.  In  company  with  Dr.  L.,  I  visited  his  hospital, 
which  seemed  much  like  Dr.  Parker's,  at  Canton.  Most  of  the  female 
patients  had  small  feet,  and  some  of  them  were  clean,  neat,  and  good- 


228  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

looking.  The  others  looked  filthy  and  bad  enough  to  counterbalance. 
I  should  think  there  were  nearly  two  hundred  patients,  all  waiting 
for  him  at  the  same  time.  Dr.  L.  sat  on  a  stool,  dispensing  pills  and 
draughts  to  them,  as  the  case  required,  which  they  took  on  the  spot ; 
made  applications  to  their  eyes,  and  applied  plasters  and  washes  to 
ulcers,  &c.  They  came  up,  one  or  two  at  a  time,  showed  their  disease, 
took  their  medicine,  received  their  ticket  which  informed  them  when 
to  come  again,  and  wheeled  off  for  others  who  followed. 

After  dinner  I  accompanied  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  to  the  residence  of 
Bishop  Boone,  a  missionary.  They  were  living  in  comfortable  and  good- 
looking  houses,  in  a  group  of  missionaries'  houses,  about  half  a  mile 
beyond  the  merchants'  quarter.  While  there,  Mr.  Spaulding,  a  mis- 
sionary living  here,  had  an  attack  of  raising  blood,  which  caused  con- 
siderable alarm  to  the  family.  He  is  soon  to  leave  for  America,  for 
the  restoration  of  his  health. 

Sunday,  May  27th.  — Yesterday,  cold  north-east  wind,  and  rain  in 
torrents  all  day.  To-day  I  fully  intended  going  to  church,  notwith- 
standing the  rain  again ;  but,  being  engaged  in  reading,  the  hour  for 
the  service  passed  without  my  knowledge  of  it.  Afterwards  I  called 
on  Dr.  H.,  with  whom  I  spent  a  couple  of  hours,  socially  discussing 
different  subjects.  I  read  in  the  Scriptures ;  and  at  evening  spent 
the  time  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.,  reading  the  Christian  Registers, 
and  talking  over  home  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Monday,  May  28th.  —  Dr.  H.,  Mr.  F.  and  myself,  went  on  board  the 
"  Dart,"  and  breakfasted  with  Captain  Porter.  After  dinner,  Dr. 
H.  and  I  took  a  walk  on  the  top  of  the  wall  around  a  part  of  the 
city,  calling,  on  our  return,  at  the  house  which  he  is  building. 

The  city  wall  is  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  five  or  six 
miles  in  extent,  made  of  two  parallel  brick  walls,  each  about  a  foot 
and  a  half  thick,  and  ten  or  fifteen  apart,  the  space  between  being 
filled  with  dirt  and  rubbish,  broken  bricks  and  stones.  The  bricks  are 
merely  sun-dried,  and  would  offer  little  resistance  to  cannon-balls. 
There  are  two  gates  at  each  entrance,  which  are  made  of  iron,  and  are 
the  strongest  part  of  the  wall.  I  was  surprised  to  see  how  much 
better  disposed  towards  foreigners  the  Chinese  people  here  appear  to  be 
than  those  in  Canton. 

The  weather  cleared  off  this  afternoon,  for  the  first  time  since  my 
arrival.  Although  it  has  rained  all  the  time,  and  the  land  is  very  low 
and  flat,  the  streets,  by  means  of  the  little  drains  to  the  river,  are 
rendered  passable  ;  but  this  morning  they  were  muddy  enough. 


SHANGHAE. TEA-GARDENS.  229 

Tuesday,  May  1$th.  —  To  refresh  ourselves  with  the  morning  air, 
we  walked  out  before  breakfast,  —  the  streets  being  nearly  dry,  and 
the  day  warm  and  beautiful.  After  breakfast  I  walked  for  several 
hours  about  the  city  with  Dr.  II.,  and,  returning,  called  at  Mr.  Fogg's, 
who  is  in  business  here  from  Boston.  We  visited  a  number  of  shops, 
which  were  much  like  those  at  Canton. '  I  found  a  handsome  Japanese 
case  to  send  home. 

"We  went  through  the  Tea-gardens ;  so  called  because  there  are 
restaurants,  in  and  about  the  premises,  where  the  Chinese  take  tea  and 
refreshments.  These  were  full,  as  we  passed  by  them.  In  some,  I 
should  think,  there  were  a  hundred  persons,  closely  seated  at  little 
tables.  They  seemed  to  enjoy  themselves,  eating,  drinking,  laughing, 
scolding  and  disputing,  one  with  another.  The  "  Tea-gardens  "  appear 
to  have  been  once  the  residence  of  some  wealthy  Chinaman,  the 
grounds  still  retaining  the  trenches,  pools  of  water,  bridges,  &c.  ;  but 
the  buildings  have  been  taken  away,  or  so  changed  as  not  to  be  recog- 
nized as  such.  The  trenches,  filled  with  water,  mark  the  boundary 
between  this  place  and  the  rest  of  the  city.  It  is  a  favorite  public 
place  for  various  kinds  of  amusements — sing-songs,  show-cases,  jug- 
glers, performers  of  gymnastics,  fortune-tellers,  pedlers,  venders  of 
knick-knacks,  doctors  with  their  herbs  and  roots  spread  on  a  bench  to 
sell,  dentists  with  their  long  necklaces  of  human  teeth,  and  many  other 
things.  It  is  also  a  place  of  resort  for  loafers,  and  innumerable 
beggars,  many  of  whom  are  sickening  and  revolting  objects  of  poverty 
and  disease.  We  could  hardly  make  ten  steps  without  meeting  them, 
singly  or  in  groups,  with  outstretched  hands.  I  was  disposed  to 
bestow  something  on  them,  but  they  were  so  numerous  1  thought 
it  would  not  be  safe  to  begin.  One,  a  boy,  lay  on  a  stone  bridge, 
crying  out  as  if  from  pain  and  suffering.  He  was  covered  with  dirt 
and  filthy  sores,  and  had  his  body  wrapped  around  with  several  broken 
pieces  of  matting.  A  few  paces  from  him,  on  her  knees  and  forehead, 
was  an  old  woman  with  white  hair,  reeling  and  twisting  her  body, 
grinding  her  head  into  the  gravel  and  stones,  and  moaning  and  crying 
in  most  piteous  sobbings  and  broken  bursts  of  anguish.  On  some 
stone  steps  near  by  were  several  others  lying  perfectly  motionless  in 
the  scorching  sun,  their  faces  burnt  and  swollen,  and  patches  of  the 
blistered  skin  peeling  off.  I  stopped  to  see  if  they  were  dead ;  but 
they  quickly  showed  animation  sufficient  to  open  their  eyes  and  stretch 
out  their  hands.  Others  were  walking  about  clothed  only  with  a  few 
dirty  rags  filled  with  creeping  vermin  ;  and  sometimes  they  would  stop, 
20 


230  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

sit  down,  pull  off  a  piece,  and  begin  to  pick  them  out.  One  man, 
enveloped  in  partially-decayed  matting,  which  was  kept  on  by  its 
strands  tied  together  and  fastened  around,  presented  a  revolting 
instance  of  leprosy.  There  were  a  number  of  such  cases  of  the  most 
loathsome  description.  They  were,  literally,  living  masses  of  corrup- 
tion, rolled  up  in  torn  fragments  of  matting  ;  and  all  stretched  out 
their  hands  as  we  passed,  and  implored  us  in  touching  tones  to  give 
them  a  few  "  cash."  I  involuntarily  shrank  from  the  touch  of  such 
degraded  and  disgusting  specimens  of  the  human  species. 

Towards  evening  I  accompanied  Mrs.  B.  on  board  the  "  Duke  of 
Portland,"  an  English  vessel  lying  in  the  river.  Met  the  captain  and 
wife,  enjoying  a  pleasant  conversation  in  the  cabin,  and  afterwards  a 
promenade  on  deck,  and  returned  at  nine. 

Friday,  June  1st. — This  afternoon  Mrs.  B.  and  myself  called  on 
several  of  the  missionary  families  within  the  city  walls.  Foreigners 
are  not  prohibited  from  going  inside  at  Shanghae,  as  at  Canton,  and 
can  reside  there  as  freely  as  outside.  We  went  very  comfortably,  in 
two  chairs  ;  I  do  not  fancy  or  enjoy  this  mode  of  conveyance,  but  it 
answers  the  purpose  very  well.  The  coolies  go  along  in  a  half  trot  or 
leap,  and  get  over  the  ground  quite  fast,  which  is  the  principal  object ; 
though  the  unsteady  motion  is  disagreeable.  The  coolies  accent  each 
step  with  a  grunt,  first  one,  and  then  the  other,  answering  to  each 
other.  Sometimes  they  alternate  several  notes  of  voice,  not  disagreea- 
ble to  hear  ;  to  which  they  keep  time  by  the  step,  and  remind  one  of 
the  beats  of  four  or  five  men  in  a  blacksmith's  shop,  pounding  a  tune 
on  the  same  piece  of  iron. 

It  was  not  a  little  amusing  to  me  (though  probably  annoying  enough 
to  some  one  else) ,  to  see,  as  we  came  into  the  thickly-crowded  streets, 
many  of  the  most  curious  of  the  Chinese  run  along  by  the  side  of  Mrs. 
B.'s  chair,  endeavoring  to  get  a  sight  of  the  foreign  lady.  They  did 
not  stop  for  ceremony  or  introduction,  but,  holding  with  one  hand 
upon  the  chair,  as  opportunity  would  admit,  they  thrust  their  heads 
in  front,  gazing,  within  a  few  inches,  into  the  face  of  the  occupant ;  at 
the  same  time  keeping  up  their  pace  by  sideway  movements.  Some- 
times one  would  not  be  satisfied  with  a  look  as  long  as  he  could  hold 
his  breath,  but  would  repeat  it  three  or  four  times,  taking  a  fresh 
breath  after  each,  and  then  falling  back  for  others  to  take  their  chance. 
I  could  but  partake  somewhat  of  their  excitement,  as  I  saw  their 
inexpressive  countenances  suddenly  become  animated,  and  turn  from 
the  sight  illuminated  with  a  glow  of  enthusiastic  delight  and  satisfac- 


SHANGHAE. BEGGARS.  231 

tion  at  the  accomplishment,  and  to  listen  to  their  comments  ejaculated 
rapidly  to  each  other.  Of  me  they  hardly  took  the  slightest  notice, 
bestowing  on  me  scarcely  a  glance.  The  missionaries  seemed  to  be 
comfortably  situated,  and  appeared  happy.  Their  houses  are  generally 
new  and  commodious,  and  very  well  furnished ;  though  some  have 
Chinese  houses,  which  are  small,  with  contracted  and  badly-arranged 
rooms,  inconvenient  to  foreign  occupants. 

Sunday,  June  3d.  —  I  attended  church  at  ten,  accompanying  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  B.  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Medhurst's  missionary  chapel,  within  the 
city.  Mr.  B.  and'l  Avalked,  and  Mrs.  B.  rode  in  a  chair.  The  dis- 
tance was  considerable,  and  to  keep  up  with  the  chair-bearers  we  had 
to  walk  at  a  rapid  pace.  Mr.  M.  preached  a  very  good  discourse, 
without  notes,  to  an  audience  of  forty  or  fifty  persons,  of  whom 
seven  or  eight  were  Chinese.  The  building,  outwardly,  resembles  a 
small  Chinese  temple.  It  has  small  windows,  without  glass,  but 
with  diamond-shaped  sashes  of  small  squares,  nearly  filled  with 
Chinese  carvings.  The  inside  is  plain,  with  a  small,  low  pulpit, 
settees,  and  chairs.  There  is  a  large  church,  the  English  Episcopal, 
constructed  like  a  European  church,  in  the  foreigners'  quarter. 

After  the  service,  Mrs.  B.  returning  home,  Mr.  B.  and  I  varied  our 
course,  passing  through  several  of  the  principal  streets.  The  shops 
were  open,  and  the  Chinese  as  busy  as  on  any  other  day.  At  one 
place,  in  a  kind  of  public  thoroughfare,  we  noticed  the  beggars  con- 
gregated much  the  same  as  at  the  ' '  Tea-gardens ' '  the  day  before 
yesterday.  There  was  the  old  woman  of  white  hair,  upon  her  knees, 
with  her  head  on  the  ground,  and  her  face  buried  in  her  hands, 
crying  and  wailing  in  the  same  way,  as  if  she  had  not  moved  from  the 
place  for  a  week.  I  think  I  must  have  seen  the  same  one  at  several 
times,  with  the  same  lamentations,  posture,  &c.  ;  if  not,  they  marvel- 
lously resemble  twin-sisters.  One  man,  with  both  feet  severed  at  the 
ankle-joints,  lay  moaning  on  a  piece  of  matting.  The  feet,  black  and 
shrivelled  up,  lay  beside  him ;  and  occasionally  he  would  take  them 
up  and  show  them,  to  excite  the  sympathy  of  some  passer-by.  From 
his  fat  and  full  habit,  he  evidently  had  a  plenty  of  rice  to  eat,  and 
probably  made  a  good  living.  Several  were  lying  scantily  covered 
with  a  matting  made  of  bark.  Some  had  on  a  species  of  sacking  like 
a  ineal-bag,  and  appeared  as  if  they  had  slept  last  in  a  bed  of  ashes, 
reminding  us  of  "  sackcloth  and  ashes  ;  "  and  some  were  obliged  to 
hold  their  rags  together,  to  keep  them  from  falling  off  their  bodies. 

Monday,  June  4th.  —  Last  night  a  mosquito  came  inside  of  my  net, 


232  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

annoying  me  for  a  long  time,  and  not  permitting  me  to  sleep.  I  spent 
the  time  in  reading  till  two  o'clock  in  the  morn,  when,  after  a  long 
pursuit,  I  succeeded  in  killing  the  insignificant  and  troublesome  insect. 
This  evening  they  are  really  ferocious,  making  their  attacks  as  if  they 
had  a  perfect  right  to  eat  one  up.  It  is  the  first  time  this  season  they 
have  appeared  so  numerous  and  desperate. 

I  have  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  M.,  a  missionary  from  Boston. 
She  is  very  zealous  in  the  missionary  cause,  and  is  engaged  in  teaching 
the  Chinese  at  Bishop  Boone's.  She  has  no  support  from  any  society, 
and  enters  the  field  dependent  only  on  herself  for  her  resources  and 
course  of  operations.  She  dispenses  many  charities  among  the  Chi- 
nese, is  very  ambitious  to  do  good,  and  has  quite  a  philosophic  turn 
of  mind,  with  a  disposition  to  regard  things  in  the  best  light  they  will 
bear.  Satisfied  with  everything,  she  makes  no  complaints,  and,  con- 
sequently, is  lively,  sociable,  full  of  good-humor,  and  strongly  devoted 
to  her  mission. 

News  came  last  night  from  Woosung  that  the  "Torrington"  was 
ashore  on  the  great  bank.  To-day  the  news  is  that  she  has  gone  to 
pieces,  with  a  loss  of  the  letters  and  papers  of  the  mail,  and  four 
hundred  chests  of  opium.  Mr.  B.'s  overland  letters  were  on  board, 
and  mine,  if  I  had  any  ;  all  of  which  are  gone.  The  crew  were  saved. 

Tuesday,  June  5th.  —  This  forenoon  the  "  Island  Queen  "  came  in, 
and  several  houses  were  happily  disappointed  in  finding  letters  for  them, 
having  supposed  that  they  were  all  in  the  "  Torrington."  But  1  have 
discovered  none  for  myself.  Rev.  Dr.  Bridgeman  called,  and  we  had 
a  very  pleasant  conversation.  In  the  afternoon  Dr.  H.  and  I  walked 
several  miles  into  the  country,  among  the  farm-houses,  and  to  the 
Souchong  bridge.  Some  of  the  missionaries  once  had  a  very  narrow 
escape  at  this  bridge.  They  were  passing  underneath  in  their  boat, 
while  the  Chinese  were  throwing  down  stones  on  them.  The  boat  was 
smashed,  but  I  believe  all  escaped  serious  injury. 

There  are  no  streets  or  roads  here  in  the  country  ;  and  only  narrow 
paths  to  walk  in,  large  enough  for  one,  and  in  some  places  for  two 
to  walk  abreast.  The  houses  are  generally  built  in  villages,  but  they 
sometimes  stand  in  groups  of  from  two  to  a  dozen  together.  If  they 
stand  alone,  they  are  low,  and  surrounded  by  hedges  and  mud  walls. 
A  great  proportion  of  those  we  saw  were  miserable,  dark,  and  dirty 
abodes.  The  whole  country,  for  sixty  miles  around  Shanghae,  is 
perfectly  flat ;  and  as  you  approach  a  house,  a  village,  or  a  cluster  of 
houses,  all  that  you  at  first  observe  is  a  clump  of  trees.  A  nearer 


SIIANGUAE. CHINESE   INHUMANITY.  233 

view  shows  the  buildings  through  their  trees.  The  people  in  this  part 
of  the  country  generally  are  very  civil.  The  land  is  laid  out  in  beds, 
as  if  intended  for  a  garden,  and  we  saw  growing  rice,  cotton,  wheat, 
vegetables,  &c.  Each  man's  grounds  are  separated  from  his  neigh- 
bors' by  a  raised  foot-path.  Ditches,  into  which  the  tide  flows, 
intersect  at  short  intervals,  and  serve  to  water  or  to  drain  the  land, 
as  may  be  required.  Tombs,  in  raised  mounds  of  earth,  covered  with 
green  turf,  and  of  varied  sizes,  are  thickly  interspersed  over  the  whole 
country  here,  and  are  met  with  at  short  distances  in  every  direction. 

LETTER  TO   SISTER   S. 

Shanyhae,  June  &th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  S. :  You  have  expected  that,  long  before  this,  I 
should  have  been  in  Shanghae,  as  you  have  directed  your  letters  to  this 
place.  They  came  up  here  long  before  me,  and  returned  again  to 
Hong-Kong.  But,  as  the  name  would  indicate,  it  is  difficult  to  say 
which  way  the  Ball  will  roll,  or  where  it  will  stop,  when  set  in  motion. 

I  left  Hong-Kong  to  come  here  just  a  year  from  the  time  I  left 
the  United  States  for  China,  or  the  day  before  the  year  expired.  I 
came  up  in  the  "  Dart,"  with  Captain  Porter,  an  American  from 
Portland,  Me.,  in  twelve  days,  and  I  expect  to  return  with  him.  He 
has  now  left  for  Hong-Kong,  but  will  return,  when  I  expect  to  be 
his  passenger  back.  The  price  of  passage  up  and  down  is  from  two 
hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

My  latest  dates  from  home  were  in  October  of  last  year,  and 
received  in  March  of  this.  I  suppose  that  I  am  a  sufferer  by  the 
ill-fated  "  Torrington,"  which  recently  got  aground,  and  afterwards 
went  to  pieces.  The  sea  swallowed  nearly  all  the  letters,  papers,  &c., 
and  I  presume  that  old  Neptune  is  still  busy  at  work  reading  them. 
You  have  no  idea  of  the  excitement  and  anxiety  of  people  in  China  to 
receive  letters,  both  business  and  family  letters.  The  mail  is  all  the 
talk  when  it  comes  and  when  it  goes.  I  have  written  home  almost 
every  month  since  being  in  China. 

You  ask  if  I  attended  church  at  a  specified  time  in  October  last. 
I  find,  on  reference  to  my  diary,  that  I  then  attended  Dr.  Parker's 
church  at  his  house,  in  Canton,  and  also  the  evening  meeting.  But 
church  to  me  out  here  is  not  what  it  is  at  home.  The  day  is  not 
recognized  as  Sunday,  except  by  the  foreign  community. 

The  Chinese  seem  totally  devoid  of  all  feelings  of  humanity,  and 
manifest  no  love  or  kindness,  as  if  they  were  incapable  of  amiable 
qualities.  I  speak  this  of  the  middling  and  lower  classes.  The  higher 
class  I  cannot  speak  of  as  yet.  But  this  condition  of  character  is 
not  so  much  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  consider  their  ignorance  of 
the  Christian  religion,  —  that  which  smooths  down  all  the  rougher 
parts  of  man's  nature,  and  inclines  him  "  to  practise  those  things 
which  are  good,  and  to  shun  thbse  which  are  evil." 

Tho  comforts  of  living  in  China  are  very  few  compared  with  those 
20* 


234  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

in  America.  One  may  have  servants  innumerable,  bo  dressed  and 
washed,  or  put  into  bed  by  them,  if  he  chooses ;  but  the  less  one  has 
to  do  with  them  the  better.  They  have  very  little  idea  of  what  per- 
sons out  of  their  own  country  wish  or  require.  They  do  everything 
backhanded,  after  their  own  way,  which  to  a  foreigner  is  generally 
the  opposite  of  his  wishes,  and  a  person  must  endure  much  from 
them  till  they  arc  taught ;  and,  by  that  time,  they  know  how  to  steal, 
deceive,  and  take  many  advantages.  Profound  rogues  are  among  those 
understanding  both  English  and  Chinese. 

Jtf .  asks  how  I  like  the  Chinese  ladies.  Tell  her  that  the  Chinese 
ladies  are  very  seldom  to  be  seen  at  all.  The  small-footed  celestials 
are  very  particular  about  exposing  themselves  out  of  doors,  especially 
to  the  sight  of  foreigners,  whom  they  regard  as  evil  spirits.  They 
keep  themselves  very  secluded,  and  from  the  age  of  ten  have  no 
society  with  the  other  sex  until  they  are  married.  In  fact,  they 
never  see  their  intended  until  the  time  of  marriage.  Some  of  them, 
I  think,  must  be  sadly  disappointed  when  they  come  to  look  at 
each  other  for  the  fir^t  time.  All  that  each  knows  of  the  other  is 
through  their  fathers,  mothers  and  aunts  ;  which  I  should  regard  as 
rather  unsatisfactory.  But  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  some  of  them, 
by  hook  or  by  crook,  contrive  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  each  other's 
faces  before  marriage.  If  not,  how  could  this  little  song,  which  I 
subjoin  and  send  to  you,  have  come  into  existence,  especially  the  third 
line  of  the  third  verse  ?  It  is  said  to  be  Chinese,  though  my  opinion 
is  to  the  contrary. 

"  0  daughter  of  the  great  Ching-Chum, 

Whose  eyes  like  Kasian  diamonds  glow, 
And  wilt  thou  love  thy  Fa-Fe-Fum, 
My  sweet,  my  lovely  Ho-ang  Ho  ? 

"  The  swans  their  downy  plumage  lavo 

Where  Lano's  wandering  waters  flow  ; 
But  can  the  swans  of  Lano's  wave 
Compare  with  thee,  my  Ho-ang  Ho  ? 

"  Six  moons  have  travelled  through  the  skies, 

And  softly  gleamed  on  Kifing-0, 
Since  first  thy  beauty  met  my  eyes, 
Light  of  my  soul,  my  Ho-ang  Ho  ! 

"  0,  when  I  clasp  thee  to  my  breast, 

Chang-fee,  to  whom  the  nations  bow, 
Shall  not  be  half  so  truly  blest 
As  Fa-Fe-Fum  and  Ho-ang  Ho  !  " 

A  great  many  Chinese  women  may  be  seen,  —  boat-girls,  and  the 
poorer  class,  who  are  obliged  to  obtain  their  living  by  labor  ;  but  the 
email  feet  you  rarely  see.  In  one  or  two  instances  I  have  caught  a 
glimpse  of  them ;  but,  when  they  see  a  foreigner  approaching  their 
houses,  they  run  in  with  all  possible  speed,  shut  and  fasten  the  outer 
gates,  and  then,  retreating,  close  up  and  lock  fast  every  door,  until 
they  are  securely  l>arricaded  inside  of  the  house.  This  I  have  seen 


SHANGIIAE. CAPTURE   OF   PIRATES.  235 

done  in  several  instances.  Last  night  I  walked  with  a  friend  into 
the  country  a  few  miles,  and,  as  we  approached  the  dwellings,  we 
heard  the  shutting  of  gates  and  slamming  of  doors,  and  for  a  moment 
we  had  a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  fair  ones.  As  you  pass  their  houses, 
the  boys,  men  and  old  women,  stand  and  stare  bravely  at  you  ;  but 
the  young  ladies  run  in  with  all  possible  haste,  and  fasten  the  doors 
with  a  slam  and  the  rattling  of  bars.  If  they  are  not  very  timid, 
they  will  then  peep  out  at  you  through  some  crevice  or  hole  ;  but  if 
they  have  received  too  severe  a  shock  by  the  sight  of  the  foreigners, 
they  will  hide  away,  —  poor  things  !  — choking,  no  doubt,  with  pal- 
pitating hearts.  Their  horror  of  a  foreigner  is  very  great,  —  partly 
owing  to  prejudices  cherished  by  the  men  and  impressed  on  them, 
and  partly  to  the  excesses  committed  by  intemperate  soldiers  during 
the  English  war.  They  fear  us  more  than  they  do  the  devil ;  and 
they  have  so  much  fear  of  his  majesty,  that  their  houses  are  fortified 
against  him  as  ours  are  against  lightning.  On  the  tops  of  their 
houses  are  crooked  and  pointed  rods  of  iron,  fastened  from  various 
places,  which  they  suppose  to  be  a  perfect  protection,  believing  that 
he  cannot  enter  where  these  are. 

I  once  went  with  Dr.  B.  to  visit  a  village  near  Canton,  when  one  of 
the  girls,  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age,  who  was  in  a  Josh-house, 
paying  her  devotions  to  the  idols,  saw  us  approaching.  The  moment 
she  discovered  us,  her  prayers  were  forgotten,  the  senseless  idols  were 
deserted,  and,  instead  of  imploring  their  aid  for  protection,  she 
screamed,  ran  out,  and  disappeared  around  the  corner  of  the  street. 
They  think  of  little  besides  dress,  ornaments,  jewelry,  and  bright  colors. 
Dr.  B.  informs  me  that  their  prejudices  against  foreigners  are  being 
gradually  dispelled.  But  you  need  not  be  fearful  of  my  bringing 
home  a  Chinese  lady.  If  pretty  faces  were  a  sufficient  recommenda- 
tion, I  presume  one  could  be  suited  ;  but  a  mere  doll  would  not  make 
a  very  agreeable  companion  for  life. 

Since  I  last  wrote  about  Hong-Kong,  the  steamer  has  captured  eight 
Chinese  pirate-junks,  with  seventy  men,  and  thirty  pieces  of  cannon. 
They  fired  into  the  steamer  all  the  way  that  they  were  being  chased. 
Many  articles  found  with  them  had  belonged  to  Europeans  who  have 
been  taken  and  killed.  The  pirates  are  likely,  however,  all  to  get  clear, 
as  the  proof  is  not  positive  against  them.  They  allege  in  defence  that 
they  were  prisoners,  and  that  those  who  jumped  over  and  escaped 
ashore  were  the  pirates.  A  great  number  escaped  on  shore,  and, 
while  they  were  clambering  over  the  hills,  the  steamer  poured  in  upon 
them  several  rounds  of  grapeshot,  wounding  many,  and  killing  a  num- 
ber. According  to  the  Chinese  law,  those  taken  (guilty  or  not  guilty) 
would  have  had  their  heads  taken  off  immediately  ;  but,  being  brought 
into  the  English  jurisdiction,  there  is  not  sufficient  evidence  to  condemn 
them  ;  and  they  will  be  set  free,  and  probably,  in  less  than  a  week,  be 
committing  their  depredations  again. 

Many  Chinese  are  very  anxious  to  go  to  California.  They  believe 
that  they  can  walk  along  and  pick  up  the  gold  like  pebbles  as  soon  as 
they  arrive.  With  regards  to  all,  your  brother, 

B.  L.  B. 


236  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

LETTER   TO   A    BROTHER.  —  THOUGHTS    OF    HOME. YISIT    TO    PAGODA.  — 

INTERVIEW  WITH   A   MISSIONARY. DUCK-HATCHING   FACTORY. VISIT 

TO   MISSIONARY   SCHOOL. 

LETTER   TO   A   BROTHER. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  A. :  *  *  *  Many  things  here  recall  to  my 
mind  reminiscences  of  the  past.  Once,  in  visiting  with  Rev.  Mr.  Dean 
his  Chinese  school,  my  school-boy  days  were  brought  clearly  before  the 
mind,  and  a  hundred  other  circumstances  in  connection  with  them  also 
appeared,  and  for  a  few  moments  I  felt  almost  sad  that  I  was  not  a 
school-boy  still,  and  at  home,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  those  times.  As 
I  looked  upon  the  Chinese  urchins  at  their  books,  I  could  fancy  myself 
there  again  at  the  old  red  school-house ;  then  the  rustling  leaves  of  the 
books,  the  teacher,  the  committee,  Rev.  Mr.  A.,  the  examinations, — 
all  were  before  me.  How  much  enjoyment  I  have  received  myself, 
after  a  considerable  absence,  in  visiting  the  old  parental  roof  at  home ; 
in  meeting  the  family  ;  in  seeing  father,  mother,  brothers  and  sisters  ; 
having  a  cordial  shake  of  the  hand,  and  exchanging  congratulations 
with  those  who  were  dear  by  the  natural  ties  of  relationship  !  Such 
pleasures  are  not  now  to  be  enjoyed.  I  can  only  think  of  them  ;  and  I 
need  not  tell  you  haw  often  the  sentiment  of  "  sweet  home  "  forces 
itself  into  my  mind.  It  can  be  truly  felt  and  appreciated  here.  Sur- 
rounded by  semi-barbarians  in  a  foreign  land,  separated  as  one  is  from 
every  consideration  of  sympathy,  with  so  many  chilling  influences  to 
encounter,  one  begins  to  feel  himself  alone  in  the  wide  world.  It  is 
then  that  "  sweet  home  "  comes  up  to  the  mind  in  its  full  power,  and 
the  reality  of  such  a  place  is  vividly  and  correctly  estimated.  That 
song  is  a  favorite  one  with  foreigners  here. 

June  17th.  —  In  the  forenoon  Dr.  Hall  and  I  took  a  boat,  and  made 
a  visit  to  the  pagoda,  about  eight  miles  up  the  river.  We  started 
with  our  boys  at  ten  o'clock,  and,  as  we  did  not  require  fire-arms,  we 
took  only  a  spy-glass,  a  spare  overcoat,  a  sheet  of  Mrs.  B.'s  gingerbread, 
and  our  umbrellas.  Almost  anything  can  be  dispensed  with  better  than 
umbrellas,  without  which  therais  no  protection  from  the  rain  or  sun. 

The  junks  in  the  river,  opposite  the  city,  were  so  numerous,  crowded 
and  packed  in  together,  as  to  appear  like  a  forest  of  masts  as  we 
passed.  We  had  a  pleasant  sail  up,  it  being  cool  enough,  and  there 
was  but  little  rain.  Mr.  G.,  with  Dr.  K.,  on  board  his  little  cutter, 
and  bound  up  the  river,  passed  us,  and  hailed  to  know  if  we  were 
well  provided  with  food,  &c.,  offering  to  spare  us  some  if  we  were  not. 

We  landed,  and  walked  to  the  pagoda,  a  distance  of  half  a  mile. 
The  road  was  a  little  irregular  raised  pathway  through  the  rice  and 
cotton  fields.  Peach-trees  grew  in  abundance  on  the  little  creeks  and 
ditches  which  extend  into  the  land.  We  passed  through  a  part  of  the 
village,  and  the  people  exhibited  no  rudeness  towards  us  ;  but  not  so 
their  dogs.  These  Hew  out  at  us,  keeping  up  a  continual  barking  as 


SHANGHAE. VISIT   TO   PAGODA.  237 

long  as  we  were  in  sight.  They  are  poor,  thin,  miserable,  hyena-look- 
ing animals,  and,  doubtless,  half-starved  ;  for  the  Chinese  themselves 
— -the  lower  classes  —  eat  what  ought  to  be  thrown  to  the  dogs. 
About  twenty  rods  from  the  pagoda  we  stopped  and  viewed  it.  It 
was  octagonal  in  shape,  seven  stories,  and,  1  should  think,  was  lesa 
than  two  hundred  feet  high,  and  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. A  long  spire  extended  up  from  the  top,  on  which  were 
two  gilt  balls  ;  and  bells  were  suspended  at  angles  of  each  story 
from  ends  of  arms  that  extend  out  and  curve  upwards,  —  fifty- 
ssix  bells  in  all,  —  which,  when  the  wind  blew,  rang  constantly.  We 
could  now  and  then  hear  their  soft  and  delicate  tones,  which,  at  times, 
were  almost  drowned  by  the  singing  and  chattering  of  birds  that  were 
flying  and  circling  over  and  about  all  parts  of  the  pagoda,  as  if  it  was 
their  hive,  from  which  they  were  swarming.  These  varied  noises, 
mingled  with  the  sighing  of  the  winds,  sounded  mournful  and  sad. 
We  came  to  the  fence  which  enclosed  the  pagoda,  and  sent  a  boy  in 
quest  of  the  keeper.  A  priest  came,  unlocked  the  doors,  and  per- 
mitted us  to  enter.  We  ascended  to  the  seventh  story,  the  stairs  being 
in  nights  from  story  to  story.  Four  doors  of  each  story  opened  to 
little  verandas,  on  which  we  could  walk  entirely  around  the  building. 
We  could  now  perceive  little  clay  images  of  human  figures  fixed  on 
the  arms,  and  at  their  extreme  ends  the  carving  of  a  fish.  The  bells 
suspended  from  them,  were  about  the  size  of  a  large  dinner-bell, 
vibrating  sounds  half-musical  and  half-solemn,  like  the  strains  of  the 
^Eolian  harp. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  pagoda  was  very  beautiful.  The 
country  appeared  flat  and  nearly  level  for  thirty  miles  all  around,  and 
here  and  there  interspersed  were  little  groves  of  bamboo  and  other 
trees,  which  shaded  their  villages.  The  only  "  hills  "  (so  called)  that 
were  to  be  seen  were  three  or  four  blue,  monumental-looking  eminences, 
that  lay  in  a  group,  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  up  the  river.  The 
river  itself,  crooked  and  winding,  and  dotted  with  small  junks,  stretched 
away  to  the  northward,  and  disappeared  in  the  horizon.  And  below 
us  lay  the  town,  a  mass  of  black,  rusty-colored  buildings,  with  nar- 
row, ditch-like  streets  extending  through  it,  and  enlivened  by  a  popu- 
lation of  about  two  thousand  inhabitants.  The  houses  were  one  story 
high,  mostly  built  of  wood,  and  looking  as  if  they  had  been  run 
together  in  moulds.  On  the  walls  of  the  pagoda  we  saw  inscribed 
hundreds  of  names  of  those  who  had  visited  it.  Some  were  cut  in 
the  wood,  some  were  scratched,  some  were  written  with  a  pencil,  and 
some  with  a  piece  of  charcoal,  &c.  I  thought  we  might  as  well  im- 
mortalize our  names  in  this  corner  of  the  globe,  and  so  I  wrote  "  Dr. 
Hall  and  Dr.  Ball,  Boston."  On  our  way  down  I  made  a  search  for 
the  nests  of  the  birds  which  were  flying  in  and  out.  They  are  gen- 
erally concealed  among  the  timbers,  which  cross  each  other  in  layers, 
one  above  the  other,  and  form  a  central  column  of  support  to  the 
structure  ;  but  were  beyond  the  reach  of  my  arm,  the  birds  having 
taken  care  to  provide  against  any  disturbance  of  that  kind. 

We  next  visited  the  Josh-temple,  which  was  well  provided  with 
idolatrous  images  of  all  kinds  and  sizes.  In  the  centre  of  a  room 


238 


CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 


stood  three  great  human  figures,  about  twenty  feet  high,  and  a  row  of 
smaller  ones  all  around  at  the  outside.  We  passed  through  this 
entrance  to  an  inner  set  of  buildings,  and  visited  several  rooms  of  their 
gods,  where  a  number  of  priests  were  standing,  sitting  or  loitering 
about,  and  one  of  them  was  drumming  with  a  small  mallet  on  a  hol- 
low ball  of  wood.  This  drumming  is  kept  up  continually,  night  and 
day.  When  one  priest  tires,  another  takes  his  place,  commencing 
before  the  other  has  left  off,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  cessation  of 
sound  ;  and  how  many  years  this  has  been  already  kept  up,  although 
informed,  I  have  forgotten.  After  we  had  left,  I  returned  again,  to 
test  the  attachment  of  the  priests  to  their  gods,  and  tried  to  purchase 
one  of  their  little  idols.  At  first,  the  answer  was,  "  No."  Afterwards 
he  said  that  four  dollars  would  purchase  it.  I  offered  him  two  dollars, 
which  he  would  not  take,  but  said  I  could  have  it  for  three.  As  I 
already  had  several,  I  did  not  purchase  it. 

Monday,  June  18th. —  At  four  p.  M.  I  took  my  boy,  and  walked  to 
Dr.  Bridgeman's,  several  miles  distant.  On  entering  what  I  supposed 
to  be  the  house,  the  first  person,  I  met  was  Rev.  Mr.  Jenkins,  whom 
I  first  saw  on  board  of  the  "  Cleone,"  about  a  fortnight  before 
leaving  Boston.  I  had  mistaken  the  house,  and  gone  into  his  instead 
of  Dr.  B.'s,  who  lived  just  across  the  street,  which  was  so  narrow  that 
I  could  cross  it  at  a  single  step,  although  I  believe  it  is  somewhat  nar- 
rower than  the  streets  usually  are.  I  spent  a  pleasant  hour  with  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  B.  They  have  two  Chinese  girls,  six  and  eight  years  old, 
which  they  are  bringing  up,  who  speak  English  well,  —  even  better 
than  their  own  language.  Mrs.  B.  played  the  piano,  and  they  accom- 
panied her  with  their"  voices,  singing  prettily,  though  their  voices  are 
yet  to  be  mod  lated  to  musical  softness.  They  read  in  English  and 
Chinese,  —  in  English  very  well ;  but  the  Chinese  I  could  only  judge 
of  by  the  sounds,  which,  to  my  ear,  were  bad  enough.  I  read  a  letter 
which  the  eldest  girl  had  written  to  another  Chinese  girl,  an  acquaint- 
ance, living  at  Dr.  B.'s,  in  Canton.  It  was  in  English,  and  showed 
good  penmanship  and  very  fair  composition  for  one  so  young.  She  is 
only  eight  years  of  age,  and  is  already  betrothed. 

I  was  so  much  interested  in  witnessing  the  attainments  of  these 
children,  that  I  stopped  longer  than  I  intended,  and  was  induced 
finally  to  remain  to  tea.  I  had  a  nice  cup  of  tea,  —  an  article  the 
missionaries  seem  always  fortunate  in  procuring,  —  and  some  stewed 
peaches,  which  were  quite  a  rarity  here.  The  principal  fruit  to  be 
had  since  I  have  been  in  Shanghae  has  been  the  peboos.  These  look 
much  like  a  white  plum,  and  are  agreeable  to  the  taste.  The  flavor 
is  variable,  being  sometimes  like  roasted  apple,  then  like  strawberry, 
and  then  like  strawberry  mixed  with  quince.  Plums  and  peaches 
made  their  appearance  about  the  middle  of  this  month,  but  are  not 
yet  fully  ripe.  Fresh  dates,  oranges,  raisins  and  English  walnuts, 
were  on  the  table  at  dinner  yesterday  at  Mr.  R.'s. 

Nothing  particular  occurred  in  my  walk  home,  except  that  a  large 
dog  sprang  at  me  as  I  was  leaving  a  bamboo  lumber-yard,  which  I  had 
taken  a  fancy  to  look  at.  Had  I  not  used  my  umbrella,  he  would 
have  laid  hold  of  me. 


SHANGHAE. DUCK-HATCHING.  239 

Saturday,  June  23d.  —  I  dined  at  Dr.  Lockhart's,  where  I  met 
three  English  gentlemen,  strangers  to  me.  After  dinner  Dr.  L. 
took  me  to  see  the  Duck-hatching  Factory,  where  they  hatch  out 
ducks  by  the  thousand,  simply  by  the  aid  of  a  small  furnace,  in 
which  is  burnt  a  little  straw.  The  room  is  the  inside  of  a  long,  one- 
story  Chinese  building,  battened  on  the  sides  with  straw,  and  kept 
darkened  —  lanterns  being  necessary  to  see  in  it.  The  temperature 
is  continued  at  about  ninety-five  degrees  Fahrenheit,  or  from  that  to 
one  hundred.  The  number  of  eggs  undergoing  the  process  of  incu- 
bation at  this  time  is  about  ten  thousand.  They  are  first  placed  in 
open  baskets  and  left  in  the  room  for  several  days.  These  baskets  of 
eggs  are  then  set  over  furnaces  of  a  gentle  heat,  after  which  they  are 
transferred  to  broad  platforms,  or  shelves,  that  extend  the  whole 
length  of  the  room.  The  shelves  are  covered  with  cotton  batting,  on 
which  the  eggs  are  placed,  close  to  each  other,  in  a  single  layer,  and 
turned  over  every  day.  This  is  done  by  two  or  three  Chinamen  in 
constant  attendance,  who  spread  their  hands  over  as  many  eggs  as 
the  fingers  can  reach,  rolling  them  with  both  hands  at  the  same  time, 
and  rattling  them  together  so  hard  that  I  expected  to  see  some  of 
them  break.  They  so  arrange  it  as  to  turn  out  about  a  thousand 
ducks  every  few  days,  different  lots  of  eggs  passing  through  the  dif- 
ferent stages  of  incubation  at  the  same  time.  We  saw  several  baskets 
full  of  ducklings  which  had  just  burst  their  prison-shells.  Having 
been  fed  for  a  day  or  two,  they  are  peddled  about  the  streets,  and 
sold  to  those  who  make  a  business  of  raising  them  in  large  flocks. 
The  price  of  such  is  now  about  twelve  or  fifteen  cash,  or  about  a  cent 
apiece  Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 

Shanghae,  Sunday,  JuneVAth. — I  attended  service,  with  friends, 
at  Mr.  Medhurst's  church  within  the  city,  where  Mr.  Muirhead 
preached. 

After  church  I  came  home,  with  my  boy,  through  a  part  of  the 
city  which  I  had  not  before  seen,  and  glanced  over  the  curious  articles 
for  sale.  At  every  place  I  stopped  a  crowd  of  Chinese  gathered 
about  to  gaze  at  me,  but  gave  me  no  trouble. 

The  "  Coquette  "  has  been  several  days  in  getting  up  from  "Woosung, 
and  is  still  a  mile  below.  Mrs.  B.  sent  down  and  received  her 
packages,  which  came  to  Hong-Kong  by  the  •"  Illzade."  I  hardly 
dare  to  expect  anything  for  myself,  yet  I  can  but  hope. 

I  came  near  having  a  conflagration  in  my  room  last  night,  having 
set  on  fire  my  mosquito-net ;  but  I  extinguished  the  flame  in  season 
to  prevent  it.  If  I  could  burn  up  all  the  mosquitoes,  I  should  not 
mind  for  once  having  a  good  fire. 

Monday,  June  25th. — I  went  this  morning,  before  eight  o'clock, 
on  board  the  "  Coquette,"  with  Mr.  S.,  to  see  if  I  had  any  news  from 


240  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

home.  I  saw  Captain  Prescott,  and  obtained  no  letters ;  but  there 
may  be  some  by  the  steamer  to-morrow. 

This  being  the  day  when  a  lot  of  ducks  were  expected  to  be  hatched, 
I  went,  after  dinner,  to  the  "  Duck-hatching  Factory,"  to  see  them 
come  out  of  their  shells.  They  had,  however,  already  hatched, 
the  most  of  them  leaving  their  shells  yesterday.  The  little  ducklings 
lay  in  baskets  beneath  the  several  platforms  from  which  they  were 
hatched ;  and  they  were  as  lively  and  musical  as  ten  hundred  such 
motherless  little  creatures  could  be  imagined. 

Tuesday,  June  2Gth. — I  read  myself  to  sleep  last  night.  The 
weather  is  rainy,  as  usual.  The  steamer  came  this  afternoon  with 
the  overland  mail  from  Hong-Kong,  but  there  was  nothing  for  me. 
I  am  doomed  to  disappointment. 

We  went  after  dinner  to  the  English  consul's,  and  waited  patiently 
till  the  mail  was  assorted.  Mrs.  B.  received  two  letters,  portions  of 
which  were  interesting  to  me.  I  saw  the  deaths  of  several  friends 
noticed  in  the  papers.  The  young,  as  well  as  the  old,  are  passing 
away  at  home.  Since  Mrs.  B.'s  package  came,  Sunday,  I  have  been 
quite  busy  and  interested  in  looking  over  the  Boston  papers.  Mr. 
Huttleston  received  the  news  of  his  father's  death,  at  Batavia,  yester- 
day. His  father  was  master  of  a  vessel,  bound  home  to  New  York. 
A  spar  fell  on  one  of  his  arms,  and  partially  paralyzed  it.  On 
the  third  day  after  the  accident  they  reached  Batavia,  where  he  had 
his  arm  amputated  ;  and  he  died  of  lockjaw  the  next  day. 

The  moon  has  shone  out  to-night,  and  the  stars  have  appeared,  for 
the  first  time,  I  think,  since  I  have  been  in  Shanghae. 

Thursday,  June  28th.  —  I  called  on  some  of  the  missionaries  this 
p.  M.,  and  visited  the  missionary  school  under  the  direction  of  Bishop 
Boone.  This  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  instruction  of  Chinese  children, 
and  is  taught  by  two  American  ladies  —  Miss  Morse  and  Miss  Jones. 
I  have  forgotten  the  number  of  pupils,  but  think  them  about  thirty. 
They  study  American  or  English  school-books,  translated  into  and 
printed  in  Chinese.  They  have  no  knowledge  of  the  English  language, 
it  being  thought  advisable  that  they  should  not  learn  it.  They  occupy 
one  room,  and  all  study  together,  and  aloud,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Chinese.  The  variety  of  their  voices  and  tones,  which  were  high 
and  low,  quick  and  slow,  abrupt  and  drawling,  was  to  me  a  queer 
confusion  of  sounds,  and  I  did  not  feel  exactly  myself  till  I  got  out 
again  into  the  open  air.  The  teachers,  however,  told  me  that  their 
ears  have  become  so  accustomed  to  it  that  they  do  not  now  notice  it. 


SHANGHAE. THE  GOLD  FEVER.  241 

The  school  is  in  full  operation  ;  such  a  set  of  bald  heads,  with  young 
bodies,  their  only  hair  a  braided  queue,  hanging  down  the  back ;  such 
young  faces  in  the  dress  of  old  men,  in  frocks,  leggins,  and  large 
shoes,  with  boys'  motions  and  actions,  and  the  medley  of  voices ;  such 
a  variety  of  grotesque  sounds  and  tones,  was  a  very  novel  sight,  and 
would  make  a  laughable  picture ;  but  it  would  be  necessary  to  pro- 
duce the  sounds  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  a  Chinese  school. 

LETTER  TO   A   BROTHER. 

Shanghae,  June  28th. 


MY  DEAR  BROTHER  J.  : 

I  have  seen  Boston  papers,  the  Post,  Traveller,  Transcript,  &c.,  which 
had  date  up  to  February  last,  and  observe  that  a  terrible  disease  has 
broken  out  among  you,  carrying  off  hundreds,  and  I  know  not  but 
thousands.  It  has  prevailed  here  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  Many 
of  the  foreign  population  have  been  taken  away,  and  the  Chinese  con- 
siderably subject  to  it.  I  was  a  little  affected  myself,  but  was  soon 
able  to  arrest  its  progress.  I  know  not  how  it  is  at  home  ;  but  here 
it  indiscriminately  affects  all  classes ;  age,  habits,  or  occupation,  seem- 
ing to  make  very  little  difference,  and  requiring  no  particular  altera- 
tion in  the  treatment.  The  brain  is  almost  invariably  the  seat  of  the 
disease,  and  with  many  it  runs  into  a  species  of  monomania.  Last 
week  a  whole  ship's  company  were  carried  off,  master,  mate,  pas- 
sengers, and  all.  There  were  between  one  and  two  hundred  on  board, 
upwards  of  a  hundred  Chinamen.  A  few,  however,  left  the  vessel 
several  days  before  it  sailed,  and  were  the  only  ones  who  escaped.  At 
present  the  disease,  as  an  epidemic,  has  very  much  subsided.  It  has 
proved  to  be  contagious,  and  has,  from  the  constant  craving  of  patients 
for  gold,  been  denominated  "  the  gold  fever."  The  specific  remedy 
has  not  been  found  among  the  medicinal  agents  of  China,  but  I  am 
informed  that  it  exists  in  great  abundance  in  California,  and  can  be 
easily  obtained  there,  by  digging  among  the  roots,  herbs  and  rocks,  of 
that  region,  and  is  familiarly  known  as  the  "  root-of-all-evil."  Many 
persons  are  already  on  the  ground,  seeking  for  the  cure,  and  no  doubt 
will  find  enough  for  themselves  and  some  for  others.  Should  any  of 
you  be  seriously  ill  of  this  peculiar  affection,  of  course  the  same  treat- 
ment would  have  to  be  adopted,  and  you  would  have  to  emigrate 
southward  to  find  the  natural  restorative  ;  and  it  is  not  impossible 
that  we  may  meet  there ;  for,  should  I  become  seriously  affected,  I 
might  be  obliged  to  go.  However,  I  do  not  yet  make  any  calculations 
of  the  kind.  A  proposal  was  made  me,  a  short  time  since,  to  go  as 
surgeon  to  a  ship  ;  and  had  I  been  ready,  with  time  to  have  made  the 
necessary  arrangements,  and  all  things  agreeable,  I  might  have  gone. 
I  had  half  a  mind  to  go,  as  it  was ;  but  it  seemed  a  kind  of  wild-goose 
chase,  though  I  should  have  gone  without  expense,  and  received  a 
compensation  for  my  services.  I  observe  by  the  papers,  through  the 
friends  of  Mrs.  B.,  that  no  small  number  of  physicians  have  gone  out 
21 


242  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

to  California  from  the  United  States.    My  remembrances  to  the  fam- 
ily, to  friends,  &c.  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

FOURTH   OF  JULY   IN    CHINA. DEPARTURE  FOR   NINGPOO. WOOSUNG   ON 

BOARD    PORTUGUESE     LORCHA. EXCURSION    WITH    MR.    WEST.  —  NU- 

WONG. MOUNTAIN   ASCENT. FUNERAL   OBSERVANCES. 

FRIDAY,  June  29^A.  —  I  took  my  boy,  and  went  into  the  city.  After 
calling  at  several  places  on  business  and  friendship,  I  visited  both  of 
the  large  Ningpoo  furniture  shops,  but  bought  nothing.  I  stopped 
here  and  there  to  see  little  curiosities,  and  at  each  halt  had  quite  a 
crowd  of  speculators.  One  man,  who  spoke  some  English  pretty  well, 
thrust  himself  on  me  as  interpreter,  following  me  to  each  place, 
though  I  did  not  want  him,  and  tried  to  get  rid  of  him.  I  saw  numer- 
ous beggars,  and,  as  they  looked  sick  and  so  miserable,  I  contrived,  oufc 
of  sight  of  each  other,  to  throw  them  a  few  handfuls  of  copper  cash. 
The  Chinese  around  appeared  pleased  to  have  me  notice  their  poor.  I 
observed  a  funeral  procession  also.  The  priests  went  before  the  coffin, 
burning  Josh-paper  and  scattering  it  along  the  way  ;  and  two  young 
females  in  white  dresses  walked  behind.  Their  feet  were  compressed  to 
about  half  the  natural  size,  and  their  gait  was  a  hobbling  step.  There 
was  nothing  very  imposing  about  the  procession.  I  bought  some  paint- 
ings at  the  gardens.  I  passed  a  place  occupied  by  the  chief  magis- 
trate, which  I  recognized  by  a  large  screen  before  the  entrance,  painted 
with  Chinese  figures.  I  asked  my  boy  to  lead  the  way  in  ;  he  said, 
"  No  can  go  in."  I  then  went  into  the  court  on  my  own  responsibil- 
ity, and  he  remained  outside,  seeming  much  surprised  at  my  daring  to 
venture  within  the  grounds  of  a  mandarin.  There  was  nothing  in 
particular  to  be  seen  there,  but  several  criminals  who  were  chained  in 
a  large  cage  in  the  gateway.  Next,  after  stopping  at  a  sing-song 
(Chinese  theatre),  I  passed  a  priest  wallowing  through  the  mud,  and 
on  the  hard  flat  stones  of  the  street,  on  his  knees.  He  was  repeating  a 
prayer  from  some  scrolls  of  paper,  translated  from  the  books  of  the 
Buddhists.  At  first  I  took  him  for  a  beggar,  but  could  not  exactly 
make  out  his  mission. 

I  met  here  the  Rev.  Mr.  Muirhead,  who  explained  to  me  some  plac- 


SHANGIIAE. CHINESE    WASHERWOMEN.  243 

ards  which  were  posted  up  about  the  city,  and  the  instructions  of  Su, 
the  governor  of  Canton.  Mr.  M.  had  just  been  preaching  to  an 
audience  of  Chinese,  that  he  had  collected  in  the  streets.  Home  at 
six.  In  the  evening  I  called  on  Dr.  L.,  took  tea,  and  conversed  with 
him  a  couple  of  hours. 

A  few  days  since,  Mr.  B.  bought  several  hens,  so  as  to  have  fresh 
eggs  every  day  ;  since  then  they  have  been  dying  off  by  degrees,  and 
to-day  another  one  of  them  has  died.  Mr.  B.  attributes  their  death 
to  the  cook,  a  Chinaman  ;  and  thinks  he  kills  them  with  poison  or 
salt,  because  of  the  loss  of  his  profits  in  supplying  the  family  with 
eggs.  In  buying,  the  cook  has  it  in  his  power  to  make  one  or  two  cash 
on  each  egg,  and  therefore  it  is  an  object  with  him  to  kill  the  hens, 
and  oblige  Mr.  B.  to  send  him  to  the  shops  for  eggs.  The  cooks  expect 
to  make  a  profit  on  all  the  provisions  they  purchase  for  their  employ- 
ers. The  Chinese  are  up  to  all  such  modes  of  rascality.  Last  night  a 
new  white  silk  coat  came  from  the  washerman's  entirely  ruined  by 
being  burned  or  stained  in  the  ironing.  It  was  the  first  time  that  it 
had  been  washed  :  and  there  was  but  a  small  part  of  it  which  had  not 
been  colored  brown  or  black,  and  some  of  the  buttons  showed  bare 
the  wood  through  the  covering. 

Knowing  that  the  washerman  and  tailors  were  in  league  with  each 
other,  and  that  I  could  get  no  redress  of  the  former,  I  thought  I 
would  try  the  Chinese  tailor,  and  sent  for  him  to  come  to  me.  When 
he  came  in,  I  said  a  few  words  to  him,  and  then,  getting  the  coat,  and 
pretending  to  be  angry  with  him,  threw  it  at  him,  saying, 

"  There  is  your  new  silk  coat  that  you  made  for  me  ;  you  can  wear 
it,  if  you  like." 

He  took  the  coat,  and,  looking  at  it,  said, 

"  Yeas,  tadt  darn  wash-a-man  have  makee  spile-em  tadt  cote  ;  he 
have  makee  tadt  iron  too  muchy  fire." 

Then  correcting  himself,  —  fearing,  I  suppose,  to  implicate  the  wash- 
erman, —  he  said  the  stain  from  the  buttons  had  caused  the  discol- 
oration of  the  coat ;  and  he  offered  to  make  me  another  instead  of  it, 
and  took  it  away.  I  thought  this  very  good  proof  that  he  considered 
himself  somewhat  to  blame  for  it ;  and  that,  fearing  he  should  lose 
my  patronage,  he  was  ready  to  conciliate  by  making  another. 

Clothing  is  often  ruined,  the  first  two  or  three  times  that  it  is  washed, 
by  the  rough  usage  of  the  washermen,  who  beat  it  with  stones.  They 
do  not  care  if  they  spoil  twenty  dollars'  worth,  if  they  only  get  the 
few  cents  due  for  their  own  labor. 


244  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

Shanghne,  Wed.,  July  4th,  —  "  the  glorious  4th." 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  Capt.  W.,  of  the  "  Antelope,"  a  merchant  ves- 
sel, and  the  only  American  vessel  here,  fired  a  salute  of  twenty-one 
guns  at  noon  and  at  night.  Mr.  Griswold,  the  American  consul,  gave 
a  dinner-party,  at  which  every  American  in  Shanghae  was  present, 
except  the  missionary  families,  who  declined,  probably  because  of  their 
position. 

The  company,  numbering  eighteen,  made  up  a  nice  social  table-full ; 
and  among  them  were  two  American  ladies  — Mrs.  B.  and  Mrs.  W. 
We  took  our  seats,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  to  a  table  of  good 
things,  which,  even  in  this  celestial  country,  would  reflect  no  discredit 
on  the  fourth  of  July  in  America. 

Much  good-humor  and  hilarity  prevailed  among  the  company,  while 
their  knives  and  forks  were  performing  duty  to  the  evident  satisfaction 
of  those  interested.  The  last  courses  of  nuts,  fruit,  ice-creams,  &c., 
came  on  about  ten,  after  which  were  the  usual  compliments  to  each 
other,  healths  drank,  &c.  When  the  ladies  had  withdrawn,  then 
came  the  toasts. 

Mr.  Griswold  arose,  and,  making  a  few  remarks  appropriate  to  the 
occasion,  gave  "  The  day  we  celebrate,"  followed  with  three  cheers  by 
all  present,  and  by  a  response  from  the  guns  of  the  "  Antelope,"  in 
the  harbor.  At  each  of  the  first  thirteen  toasts  a  cannon  was  fired 
from  Capt.  Watkins'  vessel,  the  signals  being  given  by  a  lantern  sus- 
pended from  the  flag-staff. 

Mr.  Cunningham  gave,  "  The  President  of  the  United  States." 
Hurra  !  hurra !  hurra  !  and  boom  went  the  cannon.  Dr.  Hall  gave, 
"  The  heroes  of  '76  :  may  we  not  prove  their  unworthy  descend- 
ants," with  hurras  and  cannon.  Capt.  W.  proposed,  "  The  immortal 
Washington  :  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen."  Mr.  Spooner 
gave,  "  The  signers  of  the  declaration  of  independence;  "  one  of  our 
company,  "  The  navy  and  merchant  service."  Mr.  Fogg  gave,  "  Our 
host,"  to  which  was  replied,  "  The  army."  Dr.  Ball  gave,  "  Lafay- 
ette, the  nobleman  who  assisted  America  in  achieving  her  independence  f 
may  his  memory  continue  ever  in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people." 
Mr.  Graves  proposed,  "  The  reverend  clergy."  Mr.  Williams,  after  a 
few  remarks  on  the  "  glorious  American  revolution  and  Washington," 
gave,  "His  country  is  his  independence  —  her  independence  his  monu- 
ment." Captain  W.  gave,  "  Fourth  of  July  to  everybody."  Dr.  H., 
•'  The  smartest  nation  in  all  creation  —  America."  Mr.  Huttleston 
gave,  "  Health  of  Mr.  Griswold;  "  Mr.  Griswold,  "  The  English  na- 
tion." Mr.  Crampton,  the  only  Englishman  present,  replied  with  a 
boautiful  sentiment  :  "  The  tree  of  liberty  :  may  it  flourish  throughout 
the  world,  and  every  individual  partake  of  its  fruits,"  Mr.  Baylies 
gave,  "  Health  to  Mr.  Crampton."  Mr.  C.  gave,  "  Commodore  Gci- 
sinjer  and  the  American  Squadron." 

A  few  more  toasts  were  given,  and  Dr.  B.  was  called  on  for  a 
song,  which  he  declined  on  the  plea  of  inability  ;  but  this  was  of  no 
use,  no  excuse  being  admissible,  and  he  sang,  "  The  Ode  to  Napoleon's 
Grave."  Afterwards  Mr.  W.,  Capt.  R.,  Dr.  H.  and  Mr.  B.,  followed 
with  songs.  Some  scattering  sentiments  were  given,  and  at  twelve 


FROM    SIIANGHAE   TO    WOOSUNG.  245 

we  rose  from  the  table,  repairing  to  the  veranda,  and  witnessing  an 
exhibition  of  fire-works  in  the  yard  in  front  of  the  house.  These  were 
very  good,  of  Chinese  manufacture,  and  lasted  half  an  hour.  We 
then  returned  to  the  room,  and  sang  "  America  "  and  "  Auld  Lang 
Syne."  We  now  separated  to  go  home  ;  but  a  part  remained,  walked 
to  the  Bunn  to  enjoy  the  cool  air  of  the  evening,  and  then  went  down 
to  Mr.  F.'s,  who  set  before  us  oysters  and  other  refreshments,  of  which 
we  partook,  when  the  party,  returning,  separated  for  the  night. 

By  this  you  will  see  that  the  fourth  of  July  is  not  forgotten,  even 
in  a  country  as  far  off  as  China  ;  and  I  should  hope  it  would  not  be 
this  side  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  if  there  were  any  Americans  there. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

Monday,  July  $th.  —  I  have  been  very  busy  all  day  making  ready 
to  move.  I  was  informed  that  a  Portuguese  lorcha  would  sail  to  Ning- 
poo  to-niorrow  morning,  but  that  the  captain  could  accommodate  no 
passengers.  The  English  war-steamer  "  Medea  "  leaves  here  on  Satur- 
day for  Hong-Kong,  touching  at  Lewcong,  near  Ningpoo,  and  at 
Amoy,  on  the  way.  I  learn  that  it  is  not  probable  she  would  take 
me,  as  she  has  two  passengers  already  engaged,  and  rarely  takes  any. 
As  she  is  engaged  about  the  wrecks  of  four  vessels,  recently  run  ashore, 
I  cannot  see  the  captain  to  ascertain.  I  have  seen  the  Portuguese 
captain,  who  said  he  did  not  wish  to  take  a  passenger, — that  his 
cabin  was  very  small,  his  cook  sick,  and  he  had  no  conveniences,  &c. 

But  as  this  was  the  only  means  of  going  that  I  could  learn  of,  and 
as  I  had  found  a  little  perseverance  to  succeed  on  other  occasions,  I 
talked  with  him  a  considerable  time,  telling  him  that  I  would  sleep  on 
deck  ;  was  not  particular  about  the  living,  especially  for  the  short 
space  of  two  days,  &c.  He  said  his  vessel  was  very  small,  and  that 
he  did  not  wish  to  treat  a  passenger  as  he  should  be  obliged  to  treat 
me  ;  but  I  overruled  every  objection,  he  finally  saying  that  if  I  chose 
to  take  up  with  the  accommodations  I  could  go  ;  and  so  I  succeeded.  I 
went  speedily  home,  attended  to  several  professional  engagements,  and 
went  out  after  dinner  to  make  several  calls  ;  but  the  depth  of  the  mud 
occasioned  me  to  abandon  that  purpose,  though  I  would  have  taken  a 
chair  had  there  been  one  at  hand ;  packed  the  remainder  of  my 
things,  and  engaged  a  boat  to  take  me  to  Woosung  at  night.  I  set- 
tled with  my  tailor,  who,  after  repeated  messages  to  him,  had  got  my 
work  done  ;  called  at  Messrs.  Walcott,  Bates  &  Co.'s,  to  get  letters  to 
persons  at  Ningpoo.  At  Mr.  R.'s  met  Dr.  H.,  who  gave  me  a  mat- 
tress to  take  with  me  for  a  bed,  and  when  nearly  twelve  at  night  I  was 
ready  to  leave.  The  doctor  went  down  to  the  boat  with  me.  Find- 
21* 


246  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

ing  my  baggage,  boy  and  goods,  all  there  and  right,  I  bade  adieu  to 
Shanghae,  when,  crawling  in  under  the  low  cover  of  the  boat,  I  lay 
down  on  the  mattress,  and  the  boatman  pushed  off  down  the  river. 

Woosung,  Tuesday,  July  10/A. — We  came  part  way  down  the 
Woosung  river'  last  night,  and  anchored,  waiting  two  or  three  hours 
for  the  tide  to  favor  us.  But,  0,  the  mosquitoes  !  I  lay  kicking  and 
twisting  all  night,  not  sleeping  a  moment ;  and  was  heartily  glad  when 
it  was  day,  and  they  had  taken  themselves  off,  for  they  commit  their 
depredations  only  at  night.  Their  bites  feel  as  if  their  bills  were  made 
of  red-hot  iron,  and  burn  like  it  for  about  fifteen  minutes. 

I  had,  unknown  to  the  boatmen,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
in  my  valise,  and  thirty  in  my  pockets  ;  and,  as  the  boatmen  lay  near 
me,  I  kept  my  hands  in  my  pockets  all  the  time  ;  but  there  was  no 
attempt  to  rob  me.  A  little  after  day  we  arrived  alongside  Capt.  R.'s 
vessel  at  Woosung.  Towards  night  Dr.  Murray  called,  and  we  all  went 
on  board  of  Capt.  E.'s  vessel,  and  dined  with  him.  I  was  a  littlereluct- 
ant  to  stop,  as  the  Portuguese  vessel  had  arrived,  and  I  was  afraid 
she  would  be  off.  Capt.  E.  assuring  me  that  he  would  see  that  I  waa 
not  left,  I  remained  quiet.  We  had  not,  however,  finished  dinner, 
before  a  gun  from  the  vessel  a  few  miles  below  was  fired  for  me,  and 
the  mainsail  hoisted.  Capt.  Roundy  (many  thanks  I  owe  him,  as 
well  as  Capt.  Endicott,  for  their  kindnesses),  with  six  men  at  the 
oars,  put  me  on  board  in  season  to  secure  my  passage,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  off. 

The  Portuguese  lorcha  I  took  to  be  a  man-of-war,  as  she  had  on  her 
deck  a  number  of  four-pounders,  and  two  swivel  six-pounders.  We 
sailed  down  the  Yantz-tze-kiang  before  a  good  breeze,  but,  the  tide 
turning,  it  was  so  strong  against  us  that  we  came  to  anchor  in  the 
night. 

Wednesday,  July  llth.  —  It  has  been  raining  the  most  of  the  day. 
The  cabin  being  so  closely  covered  that  I  could  not  see  to  read  or  write, 
and  the  air  being  so  close  there,  I  preferred  to  be  in  the  rain  on  deck 
a  part  of  the  time. 

We  were  under  sail  early  in  the  morning,  anchoring  once  during  the 
day.  The  wind  dying  away,  about  ten  at  night  we  again  came  to 
anchor,  where  it  seemed  to  be  but  a  few  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ningpoo  river.  Rows  of  lights  lined  the  shore  on  both  sides  of  us, 
and  there  appeared  one  high  in  the  air,  which  proved  to  bo  that  of  the 
pagoda  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  which  overlooks  the  entrance  of 
the  river. 


FROM    SHANGIIAE   TO    NINGPOO.  247 

I  have  had  considerable  conversation  with  my  Portuguese  friend. 
He  is  not  the  captain,  but  is  commander  of  all  the  Portuguese  naval 
forces  on  the  coast  of  China,  —  a  kind  of  commodore.  He  has  nothing 
to  do  with  the  management  of  the  vessel,  but  stays  mostly  in  the 
cabin,  very  seldom  making  his  appearance  on  deck.  The  lorcha  is  not 
a  man-of-war,  but  a  private  vessel,  belonging  to  himself  and  another 
individual.  He  leaves  her  at  Ningpoo,  and  goes  to  another  station  at 
Amoy.  He  was  educated  in  Portugal,  and  teaches  a  naval  school  at 
Macao.  He  is  very  gentlemanly,  polite  and  social,  though  somewhat 
reserved  ;  and  he  says  that  he  is  inclined  to  melancholy,  sitting  some- 
times, for  several  hours,  with  his  hands  to  his  head,  entirely  absorbed 
in  his  thoughts.  He  read  in  a  paper  to-day  a  reference  to  a  brother- 
in-law  of  his,  a  captain  of  the  "  Dos  Hermanos,"  who  was  lost  over- 
board in  the  Manilla  Bay.  He  said  it  brought  the  circumstances 
so  fresh  to  his  mind  that  he  should  think  of  it  all  night,  and  get  no 
sleep  on  account  of  it.  This  disposition  of  his  led  him  at  first  to 
refuse  to  take  me.  I  find  that  he  knows  a  number  of  persons  in 
Manilla  with  whom  I  also  am  well  acquainted.  He  speaks  little  Eng- 
lish, and,  when  I  first  saw  him,  he  wished  to  know  if  I  could  not  speak 
Portuguese  or  Spanish,  as  he  understands  those  languages.  With  the 
three  languages,  we  continue  to  get  along  very  well.  On  account  of 
some  disagreement  between  the  English  and  Portuguese  at  Macao,  ho 
dislikes  the  former,  and  supposed  at  first  that  I  was  an  Englishman. 

I  think  we  must  have  passed  the  four  wrecks  at  night,  as  we  saw 
nothing  of  them.  Last  night  there  were  very  few  mosquitoes.  To- 
night they  are  so  numerous  that  I  have  been  walking  the  deck,  with 
my  umbrella  spread  over  my  head  to  ward  off  their  attacks. 

We  are  at  anchor  this  evening  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ningpoo  river, 
opposite  Tinghae,  in  the  midst  of  numbers  of  junks,  all  swarming 
with  Chinese.  There  is  a  row  of  lights  on  each  side  of  the  river,  and, 
by  the  noise  and  voices  of  the  Chinese  sailors  and  boatmen  around  us, 
I  should  think  that  a  hundred  savages  were  celebrating  some  of  their 
orgies. 

JVinypoo,  July  12th. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  At  five  this  morning  we  were  lying  at  anchor  in 
the  Ningpoo  river,  opposite  Tinghae,  and  left  for  Ningpoo,  with  the 
aid  of  a  breeze  of  two  miles  per  hour.  Part  of  the  way  the  men  were 
plying  the  long  oars  over  the  vessel's  side,  and  a  email  boat,  manned 
with  rowers,  was  towing  us  ahead.  The  pagoda  and  other  buildings 
at  the  top  of  the  mountain,  on  one  hand,  and  the  tower  on  the  other, 


248  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

look  very  pretty.  Both  are  fortified,  and  batteries,  at  intervals,  line 
both  sides  of  the  river  a  little  higher  up.  Here,  at  Tinghae,  a  great 
battle  was  fought  a  few  years  since  with  the  English  ;  or,  rather,  there 
was  a  great  slaughter  of  the  Chinese,  thousands  of  whom,  it  is  said, 
there  perished. 

The  coirotry  further  up  is  very  picturesque,  —  more  so  than  I  have 
seen  anywhere  before.  Tinghae  is  very  low,  and  is  built  on  flat, 
marshy  land,  protected  from  the  water  by  a  high  wall,  and  which 
extends  about  two  miles  along  the  river.  1  thought  I  had  seen  junks 
by  thousands  before  at  Shanghae  and  Canton,  but  here,  at  Ningpoo, 
they  appear  in  ten-fold  numbers.  We  passed  several  Portuguese 
lorchas,  which  were  lying  here,  the  Chinamen  on  board  of  which 
chin-chinned,  or  saluted,  their  countrymen  on  board  of  our  vessel,  wel- 
coming them  on  their  safe  arrival.  As  we  neared  each  of  the  lorchas, 
a  Chinaman,  with  a  gong,  stationed  himself  high  up  on  the  after  part 
of  the  vessel,  and  another  with  a  kind  of  drum,  who  commenced  a 
requiem  with  a  banging  and  rattling  of  their  respective  instruments. 
This  was  answered  in  the  same  way  by  the  Chinamen  on  board  of  our 
vessel,  and  such  an  outrageous  noise  I  hardly  ever  before  heard.  We 
could  hear  nothing  else  on  board,  and  were  deafened  for  some  minutes 
after  it  ceased.  If  the  Chinese  can  perceive  any  honor  in  such  bar- 
barous noises  as  these,  I  believe  they  alone  can  enjoy  them.  The  only 
foreign  flag  to  be  seen  floating  here  at  this  time  is  the  Portuguese, 
from  the  lorchas. 

The  boy  I  have  with  me  now  is  not  the  one  I  had  in  Shanghae.  I 
only  told  him  of  going  to  Woosung,  and,  when  he  came  to  know  that 
I  was  going  to  Ningpoo,  he  left  me.  Captain  Roundy  kindly  lent 
me  his  boy  for  the  trip,  and  I  dismissed  mine  altogether,  much  to  his 
surprise.  The  captain's  boy  is  a  native  of  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  will  be  more  useful  to  me  than  the  other,  though  he  speaks  no 
English,  and  I  find  it  difficult  to  make  him  understand  ;  still  he  is  the 
most  agreeable  Chinese  boy  I  have  had. 

At  five  P.  M.,  having  been  since  morning  getting  up  from  Tinghae,  a 
distance  of  fifteen  miles,  we  came  to  anchor  opposite  the  city  of  Ning- 
poo. I  immediately  took  my  boy  and  went  on  shore  for  a  walk,  and  to 
get  a  view  of  the  place. 

Landing  on  the  bank  opposite  the  city,  I  strolled  past  several  mis- 
sionary houses,  and  met  a  gentleman  whom  I  knew  to  be  an  American. 
I  accosted  him,  and,  after  a  little  conversation,  finding  me  to  be  a 
stranger,  he  took  me  to  his  house,  introducing  me  to  Dr.  M'Cartee,a 
missionary-physician.  Dr.  M.  invited  me  to  call  and  take  "  pot-luck  " 
with  them  at  any  time  I  should  feel  disposed.  Almost  every  one 
gives  the  same  general  welcome.  Continuing  my  walk,  I  next  met 
Mr.  West,  whose  acquaintance  I  made  at  Shanghae,  and  another' 
American,  with  his  wife.  I  spoke  with  Mr.  W.  a  few  minutes,  and 
passed  on.^ 

Pursuing  my  course  by  a  narrow  path,  made  of  flat  stones,  —  the 
only  path  I  found,  —  I  walked  about  a  mile  up  the  river.  The  Chinese 
buildings  were  all  superior  to  any  I  had  before  seen.  The  grounds  louk 
green  and  flourishing,  the  trees  are  inviting  for  shades,  and  the  tombs 


NINGPOO. INUNDATION    OF    CHAPOO.  249 

and  coffina  which  lay  exposed  to  the  open  air  were  as  numerous  as 
ever,  every  few  minutes  coining  on  some  of  them.  I  next  met  a 
European  lady,  walking  unconcernedly,  at  a  very  quick  pace ;  and 
behind  followed  another,  with  a  spruce  and  rather  pretty-looking 
Chinese  <:irl  by  her  side,  some  Chinese  servants  bringing  up  the  rear. 
The  Chinese  girl,  about  sixteen  years  old,  walked  past  us  stiff  and 
erect,  like  a  moving  statue,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left. 
There  was  no  expression  on  her  face,  no  movement  of  her  eyes,  and  no 
motion  of  ease  to  her  body ;  and,  if  I  had  not  seen  one  loot  moving 
before  the  other,  I  could  not  easily  have  decided  that  she  was  not  an 
inanimate  statue.  We  then  passed  numbers  of  Chinese,  and  again 
fell  in  with  missionaries,  with  whom  I  stopped  and  had  a  little  chat. 
I  found  them  all  Americans,  and  happy  to  meet  me,  and  I  as  much 
so  to  see  some  of  my  own  countrymen  to  speak  to.  One  of  them 
gave  me  the  usual  invitation  to  call,  &c. 

I  continued  my  walk  quite  a  distance  beyond  where  I  landed,  and 
met  with  two  Englishmen,  who  asked  me  if  I  had  arrived  in  the  lor- 
cha  which  came  in  this  afternoon.  After  a  little  conversation,  I  went 
with  them  to  their  house  to  tea.  My  polite  host  I  found  to  be  Mr. 
Davidson,  the  only  English  merchant  here  beside  the  consul. 

My  boy  led  the  way  back  through  the  crooked  streets  to  the  lorcha, 
at  nine  p.  M.,  passing,  as  usual,  several  shops  where  the  Chinese  were 
gambling.  It  was  very  warm,  and,  dreading*  to  be  eaten  up  by  the 
mosquitoes,  I  remained  on  d«ck  walking  until  late  at  night.  Having 
no  net,  the  mosquitoes  nearly  carried  me  out  of  my  berth  the  night 
before  ;  and,  fearing  that  they  might  quite  do  so  now,  as  they  had 
considerably  increased  their  forces,  I  took  my  mattress  and  lay  on  deck, 
until  a  shower  of  rain  drove  me  below. 

Ningpoo,  from  an  outside  view  of  it,  is  the  handsomest  city  that  T 
have  yet  seen  in  China.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  only  one  to  which  the  term 
handsome  can  be  at  all  applied  ;  for  little  is  to  be  said  of  them.  On 
telling  Mr.  D.  that  I  intended  to  return  by  the  way  of  Chapoo  to 
Shanghae  by  land  in  a  few  days,  he  said  that  it  would  be  very  dan- 
gerous, as  Chapoo  was  in  a  terrible  state  just  now.  He  informed  me 
that  the  country  above  was  inundated,  the  rice-crops  destroyed,  that 
twenty  thousand  Chinese  had  come  down  to  pillage,  &c.,  to  keep  them- 
selves from  starving  ;  also,  that  the  Taouti  (governor)  of  Ningpoo  was 
expecting  a  similar  attack  here,  and  had  called  on  the  mandarins  and 
wealthy  Chinese  to  contribute  money  and  men  to  prevent  the  city 
from  being  sacked.  Another  piece  of  news  is  the  report  that  the 
emperor  has  issued  an  edict  that  all  foreigners  in  the  different  ports 
must  return  to  Hong-Kong  and  Canton  by  the  27th  of  this  month, 
and  that  the  original  thirteen  Hongs  for  foreigners  are  to  be  established 
at  Canton,  as  formerly.  If  that  is  the  case,  my  stay  here  among  the 
Chinese  I  fear  will  not  be  very  agreeable. 

Ningpoo,  Friday,  July  13th.  —  In  the  morning  the  missionary  whom 
I  met  in  my  walk  last  evening  called,  and  I  found  him  to  be  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Way,  from  Georgia.  He  very  kindly  invited  me  to  stop  with  him 
while  I  remained  here  ;  and,  being  assured  that  I  should  not  incom- 


250  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

mode  him,  I  took  my  things,  and  accompanied  him  on  shore  to  his 
house. 

I  found  Mr.  West  staying  at  Mr.  "Way's.  He  is  engaged  in  sketch- 
ing various  scenes  about  Ningpoo,  and  he  leaves  this  afternoon  for  an 
excursion  into  the  country.  Learning  as  much  as  possible  about 
places,  people,  &c.,  and  as  I  wished  to  make  a  trip  into  the  country, 
we  concluded  to  go  together  ;  to  start  a  little  before  dark,  and  return 
on  Tuesday  or  Wednesday  of  next  week.  He  having  made  his  neces- 
sary arrangements,  I  had  only  to  make  mine,  sending,  before  I  left, 
letters  to  my  brothers  in  Boston.  These  Mr.  Davidson  forwards  by  a 
Chinese  boat  to  the  Chusan  Islands,  where  they  are  taken  by  vessel  to 
Hong-Kong  ;  and  after  that  they  are  forwarded  by  a  mercantile  house, 
in  the  overland  mail  of  the  English  steamer,  via  Singapore,  Hindostan 
and  Egypt,  through  Europe  to  London,  thence  to  America. 

We  waited  till  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  for  the  return  of  the  boys 
who  had  been  sent  to  prepare  boats,  during  which  time  we  enjoyed  a 
pleasant  conversation  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Way.  The  boys  came  at 
last,  evidently  intending  to  make  it  late  before  we  should  leave,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  too  numerous  eyes  of  the  Chinese  citizens  of  Ning- 
poo. Mr.  Way  seemed  to  hesitate  whether  to  favor  our  leaving  at 
this  late  hour  of  the  night ;  but  we  concluded,  as  we  had  our  things 
on  board  the  boat,  all  arrangements  made,  and  the  men  waiting,  that 
we  had  better  go  at  once  $*and  Mr.  W.  saw  us  down  to  the  boat.  Here 
we  were  again  detained  for  nearly  an  hour,  the  boys  seeming  deter- 
mined, by  various  pretexts  for  delay,  that  we  should  not  start  until  it 
was  so  late  that  most  of  the  people  should  have  retired. 

My  friend  had  provided  a  large  bag  of  copper  cash,  with  silver 
enough,  as  he  said,  for  all  our  expenditures,  and,  at  his  suggestion,  I 
left  mine  behind ;  but,  knowing  its  potency,  especially  among  stran- 
gers, if  difficulties  or  accidents  should  arise,  I  returned  to  the  house, 
and  privately  secured  some  about  my  person. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

Saturday,  July  Ilth.  —  At  eleven  last  evening  we  pushed  off;  and, 
pulling  for  a  mile  or  two  up  the  river,  we  landed  at  some  stone  steps. 
There  we  unloaded  our  things,  which  were  not  a  small  quantity ;  for 
we  had  mattresses,  blankets,  pillows,  coats,  mosquito-nets,  charcoal  for 
cooking,  lanterns,  kettles,  crockery,  provisions,  and  various  other 
articles  for  our  comfort.  Two  or  three  Chinese  observed  us  here ;  but, 
with  three  coolies,  our  two  boys,  our  cook  and  ourselves,  we  managed 
affairs  pretty  expeditiously,  and,  shouldering  our  goods,  took  up  our 
march  across  the  city.  We  passed  through  the  streets  in  a  half-run, 
and  reached  the  canal  without  any  accident,  though  twice,  hi  the  nar- 
row, dark,  intricate  passages,  we  were  near  losing  each  other.  The 
watchmen,  beating  their  hollow  bamboos,  looked  at  us  very  sus- 
piciously ;  and  I  do  not  know  what  or  how  many  lies  the  boys  told 


NUWONO. VISIT   TO   A   TEMPLE.  251 

them  as  to  what  we  were  doing  ;  it  was  sufficient  for  us  to  know 
that  they  did  not  interfere  with  us. 

We  found  the  two  boats  which  the  boys  had  engaged  in  waiting  ; 
and,  as  considerable  curiosity  was  manifested  by  the  passing  Chinese, 
our  things  were  hurriedly  thrown  in,  leaving  the  boys  to  arrange 
them  afterwards,  and  the  boatmen  pulled  away  up  the  canal.  The 
boys  prepared  the  sleeping  apparatus  in  one  boat,  while  in  the  other, 
which  was  alongside,  the  utensils  for  cooking  and  other  things  were 
made  ready ;  so  that  we  had  one  boat  to  sleep  in  at  night,  and  one  to 
live  in  during  the  day.  We  sat  up  an  hour  or  two,  enjoying  the 
scenery  and  the  cool  air,  though  little  besides  the  outlines  of  Chinese 
buildings  and  clustering  bamboo-trees  was  to  be  seen  at  night.  Our 
boats  were  covered  with  bamboo  basket-work,  and  were  very  good  and 
clean ;  and,  what  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  were  well  filled  with 
mosquitoes  ;  but  we  made  ourselves  pretty  comfortable,  though  it  was 
close  when  within  the  nets  the  boys  had  contrived  to  fix  up  for  us. 
The  boatmen  use  no  side  oars,  but  propel  the  boat  by  sculling  with  a 
long  oar  behind.  We  retired  to  our  beds  at  one  o'clock,  and  con- 
cluded that  we  were  pretty  well  off,  —  thanks  to  Mr.  Way  for  the 
many  comforts  he  had  provided  us.  With  our  eyes  closed,  we  lay  and 
listened  to  the  grunts  of  the  two  men  at  the  oar,  which  continued 
alternating  at  each  sway  of  the  oar,  until  we  fell  asleep. 

Saturday,  July  14^/t.  — We  arrived  at  Nuwong  early  this  morning, 
and  arose  soon  after  daylight,  having  passed  a  comfortable  night  in 
our  narrow  quarters.  Several  times  in  the  night  we  were  startled  from 
our  sleep  by  a  loud  crash  and  concussion,  which  we  found  to  be  caused 
by  jamming  against  the  stone  sides  of  the  arched  bridges  which  we 
passed  through.  At  first  we  knew  not  but  something  serious  had 
happened,  and  aroused  with  some  alarm  ;  but,  after  a  little  time,  we 
found  everything  all  right.  All  these  boats  have  little  furnaces  to 
cook  in,  and  we  breakfasted  on  board  at  eight  o'clock,  the  owners 
living  in  their  boats. 

Concluding  to  visit  a  temple  here,  we  took  up  our  march  for  the 
mountains,  leaving  our  boats  to  repair  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
canal  to  avoid  the  Chinese  gathering. 

Our  boys  leading  the  way,  we  passed  through  the  principal  street 
of  the  village,  the  people  crowding  on  each  side  to  see  the  "barba- 
rians." The  walk  continued  for  nearly  two  miles  to  a  kind  of  valley, 
in  which  is  situated  the  temple.  The  path  was  winding,  up  hill  and 
down,  and  paved  with  flat  stones.  Tombs  on  either  side,  from  the 


252  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

base  of  the  hills  half-way  up  their  summits,  and  coffins  covered  with 
dried  palm-leaves  lay  exposed  in  the  open  air,  all  along  the  sides  of 
the  valley.  We  went  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  opposite  the  tem- 
ple, where  Mr.  West  stopped  and  busied  himself  in  taking  a  sketch. 
In  the  mean  time  I  ascended  to  the  top,  where  I  had  a  beautiful  view. 
The  temple  lay  in  the  valley  below,  a  pagoda  towered  up  a  little  way 
to  the  left,  and  another  pagoda  stood  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  on  my 
right.  The  whole  country,  as  far  as  it  could  be  seen,  looked  like  a 
huge  meadow,  divided  into  sections,  by  ditches  intersecting  every  few 
feet,  and  dotted  here  and  there  with  bunches  of  brownish-red  cran- 
berry-bushes ;  the  ditches  being  in  reality  canals,  and  the  bunches  of 
bushes  towns  and  villages  that  were  in  sight  on  the  eminences.  A 
heavy  shower  suddenly  coming  up,  we  ran  down  into  the  valley  below, 
and  sought  shelter  within  the  temple. 

This  we  found  to  be  a  cluster  of  buildings,  in  which  are  rooms  for 
the  idols  and  priests.  After  looking  a  while  among  the  numerous  gods, 
the  priests,  either  wishing  to  show  us  some  politeness  or  to  get  some 
money,  I  know  not  which,  brought  us  cups  of  hot  tea.  I  paid  them 
a  few  cash,  and  lay  down  on  one  of  the  benches  to  rest,  and  surveyed 
the  huge  monster  gods  and  goddesses  that  towered  up  in  their  bright 
and  glittering  colors  twenty  or  thirty  feet  above  me.  Meantime 
beneath  their  benign  influence  I  fell  asleep,  and  slept  soundly,  three 
hours.  When  I  awoke  I  found  that  my  companion  had  been  all  the 
while  engaged  in  sketching  the  figures,  images,  &c. 

The  rain  ceasing  soon  after,  we  visited  both  of  the  pagodas.  The 
hill  on  which  one  of  them  stood  was  hard  to  climb ;  we  ascended  to 
the  top  of  the  pagoda,  but  stones  having  fallen  out  far  above,  and 
others  seeming  just  ready  to  make  their  descent,  we  hastened  down. 
Near  the  base  of  the  hill  Mr.  W.  had  a  fall,  which  hurt  him  consider- 
ably, and  I  feared  seriously.  We  made  our  way  back  to  the  boats, 
dined  on  boiled  rice,  eggs,  and  cold  chicken,  with  a  cup  of  tea,  retired 
within  our  nets  at  dark,  and,  by  the  lantern,  read  till  eleven. 

Monastery  at  Teen-Tuny,  Sunday,  July  15th.  —  This  morning  we 
lay  within  our  nets  reading  till  seven.  After  partaking  of  a  plain 
breakfast  of  rice,  eggs  and  tea,  we  concluded  to  spend  the  day  quietly 
in  our  boats.  We  slept  very  well  during  the  night,  though  much 
cramped  for  room,  our  beds  being  across  the  boat,  so  that  we  could 
not  lie  at  full  length. 

While  at  breakfast,  hearing  a  more  than  ordinary  noise  and 
clatter,  we  looked  out,  and  found  it  to  proceed  from  a  funeral  proces- 


A    FUNERAL    PROCESSION. HIRKD   MOURNERS.  253 

sion,  just  leaving  the  boat,  in  which  they  had  come  up  the  canal.  The 
coffin  was  placed  on  the  shore.  Two  females  of  the  large-footed  kind, 
in  sedan-chairs,  and  dressed  in  white,  were  wailing,  with  great  outcry. 
The  gongs  were  beaten,  pieces  of  paper  were  strewed  in  the  path,  and 
gilded  paper-offerings  burned  in  considerable  heaps. 

The  Josh-paper  was  fixed  into  forms  intending  to  represent  Chinese 
shoes,  silvered  over  so  as  to  resemble  the  sycee  silver,  for  which  it  is 
substituted.  These  they  carried  in  baskets  before  the  coffin,  stopping 
every  few  steps  to  put  a  little  bunch  of  it  on  the  ground,  and  burn  it ; 
they  frequently  held  and  burnt  single  pieces  in  the  hand.  The  pieces 
of  paper  strewed  along  the  path  represented  their  copper  cash  ;  the 
paper  being  full  of  little  circular  cuts,  each  of  which  expresses  one 
cash,  a  fraction  of  a  cent.  They  believe  that  in  the  other  world  the 
departed  spirit  receives  the  value  represented  by  the  paper.  A  portion 
of  the  paper  burnt  was  gilded,  which  is  intended  to  represent  gold. 

The  two  females,  as  is  usually  the  case,  were  hired  mourners,  paid 
expressly  for  the  occasion.  When  the  procession  moved  they  cried 
and  wailed  in  loud  and  most  doleful  voices,  distorting  their  faces  and 
wringing  their  hands,  as  if  their  hearts  were  breaking ;  then,  they 
would  writhe  their  bodies,  shriek  and  scream,  and,  burying  their  faces 
in  their  hands,  cry  and  sob  as  if  they  never,  never  could  be  again 
reconciled  to  this  world.  When  the  procession  halted  a  little,  their 
lamentations  ceased,  their  countenances  relaxed,  they  laughed,  talked 
and  ogled,  all  with  so  much  pleasantness  that  one  could  have  supposed 
they  had  never  known  a  moment  of  grief.  When  the  procession  again 
started,  they  again  commenced  their  dismal  wailings ;  and,  if  their 
pay  depended  on  the  noise  they  made,  I  should  think  they  intended  to 
run  up  a  large  account  against  their  employers.  After  seeing  it  thus 
enacted  several  times,  the  scene  looked  so  foolishly  ridiculous,  and  so 
hypocritically  superstitious,  that  I  felt  like  going  and  turning  over 
their  sedan-chairs,  and  pitching  them  out. 
22 


254  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

DEPARTURE   FOR  TEEN-TTJNG.  —  MOUNTAIN  CHAIRS. — MONASTERY. FIRST 

BUILDING    OF    THE    TEMPLE. OTHER    BUILDINGS. FOURTH    OR    ANCES- 
TRAL  TEMPLE.  —  LADY  AND   PRIEST. PAGAN  MONASTIC   OBSERVANCES. 

AFTER  taking  a  little  walk  on  shore,  we  decided  to  let  the  boatmen 
convey  us  to  Teen-Tung,  a  place  some  twelve  miles  distant.  As  we 
lived  in  the  boat,  no  preparations  were  necessary,  and  we  started  at 
once,  leaving  Nuwong  behind. 

Our  boats  were  sculled  along,  each  by  one  man,  though  they  had 
two  others  to  relieve  them  at  intervals,  at  the  rate  of  about  three  miles 
an  hour  ;  and  we  had  plenty  of  time  to  read  and  observe  the  prospect 
about  us.  The  day  was  very  hot,  but,  keeping  under  the  covers  of  our 
boats,  we  were  screened  from  the  sun.  We  occasionally  passed  Chi- 
nese boats,  some  laden  with  bamboo-poles,  some  with  brush  for  fire- 
wood, rolled  into  fagots,  and  one  had  a  freight  of  Chinese  girls,  who 
seemed  to  be  horror-struck  on  discovering  us  "  foreign  devils,"  and 
appeared  as  if  they  wished  that  they  had  some  place  to  flee  to ;  but  we 
were  soon  out  of  their  sight. 

For  many  miles  the  country  was  flat,  and  intersected  with  canals, 
the  only  roads  there  are.  The  water  in  the  canals  was  within  a  feAV 
inches  of  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  mountains  we  are  approach- 
ing look  very  pretty  in  the  distance.  In  many  places  along  the  banks 
shady  trees  improve  the  prospect.  Chinese  peasants  are  here  and 
there  at  work  on  the  rice-fields  ;  rice  being  almost  the  only  thing  we 
saw  growing,  excepting  a  kind  of  flag,  in  two  or  three  marshy  spots.  An 
hour  brought  us  to  the  confluence  of  several  canals  that  led  in  different 
directions  \ike  the  spokes  of  a  wheel,  forming  a  basin  at  their  junc- 
tion, in  extent,  perhaps,  an  acre  of  water.  Two  arched  bridges 
crossed  two  of  the  canals,  and  I  noticed,  with  considerable  interest, 
three  Chinese  women  wind  around  by  a  little  path  in  the  banks,  mount 
up  and  cross  over  the  bridge,  passing  along  out  of  sight,  on  the  oppo- 
site side.  They  each  carried  a  burden,  and,  I  presume,  from  their 
gait,  were  more  or  less  small-footed,  for  they  appeared  to  be  walking 
on  little  rolling  stones. 

At  the  base  of  a  single  high  hill  that  stood  alone  on  our  right  were 
several  tombs,  nearly  hid  among  the  shrubbery.  Characters  and 


MOUNTAIN   CHAIRS.  255 

figures  of  the  Chinese  were  carved  into  the  stones ;  and  in  front  of  one 
tomb  stood,  sculptured  in  stone,  a  horse  with  its  saddle  and-  bridle  on, 
and  so  perfectly  done,  that  had  it  been  painted  a  natural  color,  I  might 
have  taken  it  for  a  living  one.  And  a  little  further  on  stood  a  small 
temple,  or  Josh-house. 

We  passed  under  one  of  the  bridges,  and  came  to  a  line  of  large 
stones,  which  gave  evidence  of  once  having  resisted  the  action  of  the 
ocean.  The  whole  country  appeared  as  if  at  one  time  it  had  been  a 
part  of  the  sea,  —  a  kind  of  bay,  extending  into  the  land  here,  —  and 
had  been  filled  up  by  washings  from  the  hills. 

We  arrived  at  a  village  about  one  p.  M.,  which  was  the  end  of  our 
travel  by  water,  the  remainder  of  the  way  being  over  the  mountains. 
We  dined  in  our  boat.  Learning  that  it  was  six  miles  to  the  monas- 
tery, and  the  weather  being  very  hot,  we  sent  for  a  couple  of  sedan- 
chairs,  and  five  coolies,  to  convey  us  there.  For  these  we  were  to  pay 
two  hundred  cash,  about  twenty  cents  to  each  man.  Packing  up  our 
beds,  provisions,  &c.,  in  half  an  hour  all  was  ready.  The  boatmen 
were  paid  something  to  buy  their  rice  with,  and  were  to  await  our 
return,  and  we  mounted  into  our  chairs.  These  were  a  skeleton  chair, 
called  mountain  chairs.  Each  consisted  simply  of  two  horizontal  poles, 
between  which,  suspended  by  cords,  were  two  pieces  of  boards,  one  to 
sit  on,  and  the  other  to  rest  the  feet  on,  while  swinging  in  the  air. 

As  our  train  started,  it  was  most  amusing  to  look  at,  and  caused 
us  no  little  merriment  while  the  novelty  lasted.  Mr.  West,  in  his 
chair,  supported  on  the  shoulders  of  two  coolies,  one  before  and  the 
other  behind  him,  went  ahead,  and  I  followed  in  the  same  manner. 
Then  came  a  cooly  with  the  bulky  baggage  hanging  by  a  pole,  carried 
on  one  shoulder  like  a  pair  of  scales ;  then  came  the  two  boys  and  one 
boatman,  each  with  bundles  in  their  hands ;  and,  lastly,  followed  a 
rabble  of  men  and  boys,  shouting  and  laughing,  the  noise  of  which 
brought  others  to  look  at  us  from  the  houses  lining  the  street  on  each 
side.  We  left  the  village  and  continued  up  the  mountain,  occasionally 
getting  down  and  walking,  to  relieve  the  coolies,  as  well  as  to  relieve 
ourselves  from  the  sickening  motion  of  swinging.  This  kind  of  labor 
seemed  hard  for  the  coolies,  though  they  are  accustomed  to  it,  and 
carry  burthens  over  the  mountains  of  several  times  our  weight. 

Our  path  was  about  five  feet  wide,  paved  with  flat  stones ;  and,  at 
the  distance  of  three  miles,  we  arrived  on  the  summit  of  the  pass  be- 
tween two  mountains.  Here,  in  a  "  rest-house,"  we  stopped  and  sat 
down,  for  a  short  time,  on  the  stone  benches.  These  "  rest-houses" 


256  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

are  provided  by  government,  or  by  benevolent  individuals ;  being 
placed  along  the  way,  at  convenient  intervals,  for  the  comfort  of  the 
travelling  public,  and  free  to  all.  This  one  was  nearly  full  of  coolies, 
with  their  burthens,  sitting  on  stone  slab  benches,  around  the  outside 
of  the  room.  The  "  rest-houses  "  are  built  of  wood,  supported  by 
eight  stone  posts,  and  placed  directly  over  the  path,  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  small  railroad  station-house.  Three  sides  are  open,  and  the 
other  is  walled  up  with  hewn  stone,  leaving  a  free  passage-way 
through,  continuous  with  the  road.  The  roof  is  curved  concavedly  at 
its  angles,  and  covered  with  red  earthen  tiles.  On  a  sign-board  inside 
is  written  in  Chinese  characters,  "  A  house  for  travellers  to  rest  m;" 
and  on  a  stone  tablet  are  inscribed  the  names  of  those  who  contributed 
to  its  erection.  A  pagoda  was  standing  a  little  way  off  on  one  side, 
crooked,out  of  shape,  and  evidently  very  old.  We  postponed  visiting 
it  until  our  return. 

Descending  the  mountain  on  the  opposite  side,  we  stopped  in  another 
"  rest-house  "  at  its  base.  Here  we  saw  the  tea-plant  growing  in  the 
adjoining  fields.  It  was  planted  in  hills,  like  potatoes,  and  at  a  little 
distance  much  resembles  them.  We  went  over  and  examined  the 
plants,  and  found  them  like  bunches  of  hawthorn-bushes,  about  a  foot 
and  a  half  high.  The  tops  had  been  cropped,  and  the  tender  leaves 
were  sprouting  out  luxuriantly  from  all  sides.  They  had  been  recently 
hoed  and  hilled  up  like  corn.  In  another  field  of  moist  soil  the  lotus- 
plant  was  being  cultivated.  Its  tops  resemble  our  wild  lily-pads.  It 
has  a  large  bulbous  root,  like  the  potato,  though  much  coarser, 'and 
is  much  esteemed  by  the  Chinese  as  a  kind  of  substitute. 

Our  way  now  led  along  by  a  small  river,  through  a  rich  valley,  tko 
scenery  of  which  was  very  interesting.  Villages  were  interspersed, 
and  the  mountains,  four  or  five  miles  distant,  ranged  on  each  side  like 
two  great  barriers.  They  were  very  high,  and  down  their  green  slopes 
rivulets  were  coursing,  curving  from  ledge  to  ledge,  and  reflecting  in 
the  sun  a  silvery  brightness,  as  if  they  were  frozen  cascades.  Now  and 
then  we  had  to  cross,  on  small,  narrow  bridges,  a  deep  abyss,  over 
which  we  found,  sometimes,  ourselves  suspended.  At  these  times  the 
/  forward  cooly,  in  stepping  off  the  opposite  side,  would  turn  at  an 
angle,  while  the  hinder  man  was  still  on  the  bridge,  which  would 
bring  us  hanging  diagonally  immediately  over  the  depth  below ;  and, 
as  we  cast  our  eyes  down  and  thought  of  a  single  misstep,  it  would 
cause  our  flesh  to  thrill. 

We  passed  through  several  villages,  with,  at  times,  a  considerable 


APPROACH   TO    THE   TEMPLE.  257 

crowd  of  Chinese  following  in  our  rear.  The  younger  children,  on 
seeing  us  two  "  evil  spirits,"  would  run,  screaming,  and  hide  their 
faces  in  their  mothers'  laps.  The  elder  ones,  and  those  who  had  suffi- 
cient courage,  with  countenances  of  amazement,  would  stand,  grin 
and  gaze  at  us,  until  we  had  passed. 

At  two  or  three  places  by  the  roadside,  men  were  grinding  grain  in 
a  mill  of  primitive  construction.  A  bed,  consisting  of  several  pieces 
of  oblong  stone,  grooved  out  like  a  trough,  and  laid  down  in  a  circle, 
held  the  grain.  A  heavy  stone  slab  wheel,  placed  upright  in  the 
trough,  was  connected  by  a  shaft  to  a  post  in  the  centre  of  the  circle. 
At  the  end  of  the  shaft,  outside  the  wheel,  was  an  ox  or  buffalo,  but 
oftener  a  cow,  attached  after  the  fashion  of  a  horse  in  a  bark-mill, 
with  its  nose  fastened  by  cords  to  the  machinery  ahead,  walking 
around  and  dragging  the  wheel,  which  crushed  the  grain  as  it  rolled 
over  it.  A  boy  followed  behind  with  a  whip,  to  keep  the  animal 
moving.  When  the  wheel  has  revolved  around  the  circle  a  sufficient 
number  of  times,  the  grain  is  ground.  The  meal  is  then  taken  out, 
about  a  peck  of  grain  again  is  poured  in,  and  the  same  operation  is 
repeated.  We  could  not  approach  very  near  the  mill,  as  the  buffalo 
manifested  more  fear  of  us  than  its  master  did. 

Along  the  way  we  met  many  coolies,  toiling  under  heavy  burdens 
of  rice,  tea,  and  various  other  things,  in  large  packages,  transporting 
them  towards  Ningpoo.  The  tea  was  carried  in  large  baskets  of  the 
size  of  half  a  hogshead,  hanging  at  each  end  of  a  pole,  balanced  on 
the  coolies'  shoulders. 

Within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  another  resting-house,  we  entered  a 
beautifully  shaded  walk,  which,  after  a  few  windings,  brought  us  to 
the  open  ground  in  front  of  the  temple,  or  what  is  more  properly 
called  Teen-Tung  Monastery.  The  walk  was  three  feet  wide,  and 
paved  with  flag-stones  ;  and  on  each  side  of  it  were  rows  of  large,  tall 
pines,  intermingled  with  which  was  a  tree  resembling  the  elm  —  the 
camphor-tree,  if  I  recollect  aright.  Here  and  there,  on  each  side, 
were  beautiful  groves  of  the  delicate  bamboo,  and  sometimes  of  the 
black  bamboo,  which  was  exceedingly  pretty.  The  rice-fields  extended 
back  on  to  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  rising  terrace  after  terrace, 
till  they  seemed  but  a  few  feet  in  width.  They  were  supplied  with 
water  by  rivulets  from  the  mountains,  and  had  to  be  made  level,  so  as 
to  be  easily  and  regularly  flooded-.  The  same  water  is  conducted  from 
the  higher  to  each  lower  terrace,  running  from  one  to  another.  In 
several  of  the  trees  along  the  walk,  near  the  monastery,  idols  were 
22* 


258  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

placed,  the  trees  being  hollowed  out,  about  fifteen  feet  from  the 
ground,  for  their  reception.  These  reminded  me  of  so  many  owls 
looking  out  from  their  hiding-places,  some  of  them  even  looking  as 
sage.  We  passed  around  a  little  lake  in  the  open  ground,  directly  in 
front,  and,  ascending  a  flight  of  steps,  landed  at  four  p.  M.  in  the  first 
or  front  building  of  the  monastery. 

The  coolies  set  down  the  baggage  in  the  house  of  and  in  the  very 
midst  of  Chinese  gods,  our  chair-bearers  not  stopping  till  they  had 
set  us  down  inside,  and  before  their  great  idols,  though  great  only  in 
size.  We  seated  ourselves  on  benches,  and  as  the  priests  gathered 
around  us  we  momentarily  expected  that  they  would  indignantly  order 
us  out ;  but  they  did  not  seem  at  all  disaffected,  and  only  manifested 
great  curiosity  to  look  at  us.  It  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  bo 
thus  gazed  at  by  such  an  open-mouthed,  idiotic  set ;  but  we  felt  that 
it  would  not  answer  to  show  any  resentment,  and  endured  them  with 
the  best  grace  we  were  able. 

After  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  rest,  our  boys  mentioned  our  wishes  to 
remain  here  a  few  days,  and  that  we  might  take  up  our  quarters  in 
the  monastery  during  the  time.  This  was  readily  granted,  and  one 
of  the  priests  took  on  himself  the  office  of  guide,  and  led  the  way.  We 
followed,  with  the  boys,  coolies  and  baggage,  past  several  buildings, 
and  up  several  terraces,  —  some  of  the  priests  taking  particular  pains 
to  bow  to  us  as  we  passed,  which  we  returned,  —  and  pursued  our 
course  to  the  rear  part  of  the  buildings.  There  another  squalid-looking 
priest  showed  us  up  stairs  to  a  room  for  our  accommodation.  We 
gave  a  hasty  glance  around,  but  did  not  dare  to  scrutinize  too  closely, 
for  fear  we  should  become  disgusted  with  it.  We  saw  that  it  was 
very  dirty,  the  walls  decaying  and  crumbling,  holes  in  the  roofs,  and 
two  bedsteads  the  only  articles  of  furniture. 

We  thought,  if  it  did  not  rain,  as  it  was  warm  weather,  that  it 
would  answer  to  stay  in  at  night ;  and  as  we  should  not  want  it  in 
the  day-time,  we  concluded  to  make  it  answer.  As  soon  as  we  entered, 
a  third  priest,  or  rather  monk,  —  for  it  is  a  monastery,  and  its  devotees 
are  monks,  of  whom  there  seem  to  be  a  considerable  number  belonging 
to  the  establishment,  —  came  in  with  his  broom  and  dirt-pan,  and 
carried  off  the  filth  and  old  rubbish  that  was  in  it.  Cleaning  up  the 
floor  had  really  made  such  a  change  that  we  dared  to  look  at  the  room 
more  particularly.  The  windows  were  open  spaces,  without  panes  of 
glass  or  frame- work,  and  enclosed  only  with  dark  blinds.  Large  cob- 
webs covered  the  walls  and  roofs ;  and  for  curiosity  I  commenced 


NINGPOO. TEEN-TUNG    MONASTERY.  259 

counting  the  big  venomous  spiders  which  occupied  them,  lazily  waiting 
for  their  prey.  I  counted  over  a  hundred,  and  then  gave  it  up  ;  but 
they  were  all  suffered  to  remain  there  without  disturbance. 

The  boys  spread  the  mosquito-nets  ;  arranged  the  beds  near  to  each 
other,  so  that,  with  a  lantern  hung  between,  we  could  lie  and  read 
within  the  nets  at  night ;  they  prepared  our  supper  of  tea,  boiled  rice 
and  eggs,  of  which  we  partook  lightly,  —  both  of  us  being  unwell, — 
and  repaired  at  an  early  hour  to  our  respective  couches.  It  was 
particularly  pleasant  to  lie  there  within  our  nets,  to  read  or  to  watch 
the  mosquitoes  as  they  flew  against  and  protruded  their  bills  through 
the  interstices,  and  to  listen  to  their  whine  of  disappointment  as  they 
tried  unsuccessfully  to  force  their  bodies  through. 

As  I  lay  there,  I  thought  over  the  long,  crooked,  and  intricate 
passage  I  had  traversed  to  get  from  the  front  of  the  monastery  to  this 
obscure  loft,  and  wondered  if  I  should  ever  be  able  to  find  my  way 
back  and  forth.  I  could  recall  to  mind  that  we  passed  through  the 
first  building  ;  then  ascended  a  flight  of  steps  up  a  terrace,  and  then 
another  smaller  flight ;  then  through  a  door,  along  a  narrow  passage, 
turning  short  to  the  left,  and  then  around  to  the  right ;  after  tin's, 
that  we  went  entirely  through  a  building  full  of  gods,  up  a  flight  of 
stone  steps,  through  another  building,  up  other  steps,  and  then  through 
other  buildings,  I  could  not  tell  how  many.  I  could  remember  dark 
cells  with  monks'  heads  at  the  windows,  a  terrace,  a  kind  of  open 
court,  a  turn,  a  high  wall,  an  entry-room,  a  dark  and  long  entry,  and 
descending  steps  somewhere  ;  but  it  was  all  confusion. 

W6  arose  this  morning  at  seven,  somewhat  refreshed  with  sleep. 
Mr.  W.  was  pretty  well,  but  I  was  not  much  improved.  I  had  an 
intolerable  thirst,  and  no  appetite.  My  boy  brought  me  in  a  cup  of 
tea,  which  I  drank ;  before  he  could  get  out  of  the  room,  I  called  him 
back  and  sent  him  for  another ;  and  then  for  a  third,  a  fourth,  a 
fifth  ;  and  when  I  said  another,  he  stopped  and  looked  puzzled,  as  if  he 
thought  I  must  have  disposed  of  the  tea  some  other  way  than  by 
drinking  it ;  but  finally  he  went  out  and  brought  it,  and  with  it  the 
tea-pot  itself,  which  he  sat  down  on  the  floor.  Somewhat  renovated 
with  the  tea,  I  descended  the  stairs  to  the  little  court  below,  and 
sallied  out  to  try  my  wits  in  the  direction  of  the  front  building,  where 
Mr.  W.  had  gone.  I  spent  about  half  an  hour  in  tracing  and  retrac- 
ing my  steps,  trying  to  open  doors,  following  out  blind  passages,  &c.  ; 
and  when  I  would  ascend  higher  up  the  mountain,  in  order  to  obtain 
a  view  of  the  premises,  I  found  my  course  obstructed  by  a  high  wall, 


260  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

encompassing  the  grounds,  and  heading  me  off  in  every  direction.  At 
last,  by  some  way  or  other  —  I  know  not  how,  but  after  a  number 
of  trials  —  I  came  out  at  the  front  building. 

I  found  Mr.  W.,  and  asked  him  if  he  had  any  difficulty  in  finding 
his  way.  He  said, 

"  1)  no,  not  at  all  —  my  boy  showed  me." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  think  I  will  take  my  boy  to  show  me,  the  next 
time." 

Mr.  W.  had  his  portfolio  in  his  lap,  sketching  the  monastery,  and 
five  monks  looking  over  him,  with  mouths  wide  open,  as  if  struck  with 
marvellousness  to  see  their  buildings  caused  to  appear  on  paper  by  such 
little  scratches.  I  was  loth  to  believe  the  existence  of  such  stupidity 
when  I  saw  it. 

I  looked  about  by  myself  for  an  hour,  when,  feeling  quite  unwell,  I 
directed  my  steps  towards  our  room.  Finding  much  to  interest  me  on 
the  way,  I  wandered  from  building  to  building,  and  from  room  to 
room,  keeping  in  mind  bearings  as  nearly  as  possible,  until,  when  I 
wished  to  go  directly  to  our  room,  I  could  not  hit  on  the  right  way  at 
all.  I  was  thus  groping  through  courts  and  covered  passages,  almost 
tired  out,  when  my  boy  came  in  search  of  me  to  call  me  to  breakfast. 
I  was  quite  ready  to  have  a  guide,  and  followed  him  most  willingly. 
We  had  breakfast  of  tea,  rice,  eggs  and  chicken,  of  which  I  partook 
very  sparingly,  and  then  went  to  bed. 

Towards  night,  hearing  a  strange  humming  sound,  as  if  of  many 
voices  in  the  distance,  and  my  boy  not  at  hand  to  go  with  me,  I  started 
out  alone  in  quest  of  it.  Following  in  the  direction  of  the  sounds,  I 
traced  it  to  one  of  the  buildings,  and,  entering,  was  surprised  to  see 
a  concourse  of  monks  assembled.  There  were  sixty  or  seventy  of  them  ; 
and  I  did  not  before  know  that  there  were  so  many  on  the  whole  prem- 
ises. They  stood  like  so  many  idiots,  chanting  their  me- toe-fa h-le, 
mc-tde-fah-le,  over  and  over,  and  going  through  senseless  ceremonies 
before  their  idols.  As  I  saw  only  a  part,  I  shall  endeavor  to  take 
another  opportunity  to  witness  the  whole  proceeding,  foolish  as  it 
may  be,  and  give  a  little  account  of  it. 

I  continued  my  stroll  while  the  priests  were  engaged,  to  take  a 
hasty  glance  about,  and  see  what  I  could  discover.  I  wandered  in 
various  directions  —  now,  up  a  long  flight  of  steps,  through  a  long 
passage  —  then  at  a  right  angle,  and  came  into  a  court,  passing  by 
rows  of  small  rooms  belonging  to  the  monks,  through  an  archway, 
into  another  court,  and  still  another  and  another,  till  there  appeared 


TEEN-TUNG    MONASTERY. INSECTS. TEA.  -;  '1 

to  be  no  end  of  them.  Each  of  the  different  buildings  seemed  to  have 
one  room  set  apart  for  public  worship,  and  had  three  or  four,  or  more, 
large  idols  placed  in  a  line  to  be  adored.  I  looked  into  the  rooms  of 
some  of  the  monks,  which  presented  a  dark  and  dirty  appearance,  and 
contained  no  comforts- but  a  greasy  bed  and  a  dingy  mosquito-net. 
There  was  no  table,  glass  or  chair  —  no  plastered  ceiling  or  papered 
walls  —  nothing  but  a  miserable  black  cell  to  live  in.  Some  had  no 
opening  to  them  but  the  door,  and  others  one  window  with  a  shutter. 
This  evening,  while  reading  within  my  mosquito-net,  I  counted 
eight  different  kinds  of  insects  crawling  upon  the  outside  of  it,  and 
several  others  which,  being  of  a  smaller  size,  contrived  to  get  inside. 
Among  those  actively  engaged  in  crawling  over  me,  and  giving  an 
occasional  bite,  were  the  flea,  the  bed-bug,  round  bug,  and  black  bug. 
Sleeping  with  such  a  variety  of  the  insect  tribe  was  not  particu- 
larly agreeable,  but,  as  there  was  no  avoiding  them,  they  had  to  be 
endured  with  the  best  philosophy  possible.  The  windows,  without 
glass,  all  darkness  or  all  light,  let  in  several  large  species  of  winged 
insects,  which  were  buzzing,  floundering  and  crawling,  on  the  decay- 
ing rafters  ;  but  the  stifling  air  obliged  us  to  keep  them  open.  On 
the  beams  were  cut  or  written  a  number  of  names, —  those  of  persons, 
I  suppose,  who  had  occupied  the  room  before. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

EXCURSION     TO     TEEN-TUNG     MONASTERY,    CONTINUED.  —  DESCRIPTION     OF 
TEMPLES,   MONKS,    RELIGIOUS    OBSERVANCES,  ETC. 

TUESDAY,  July  17th.  —  I  arose  at  seven,  feeling  very  badly  in  my 
head,  and  with  considerable  heat  and  fever ;  but  I  try  to  throw  it  off 
by  diet  and  exercise.  What  I  care  for  is  drink  —  cold  water  and  acid 
of  some  kind  ;  but  I  cannot  get  either  here.  All  that  seems  to  be 
drinkable  is  tea  —  tea  —  tea  ;  and  that  we  have  the  whole  day  long. 
The  Chinese  keep  water  continually  hot  to  make  tea  for  themselves, 
and  drink  it  all  hours  of  the  day  ;  and  through  them  we. have  a  con- 
stant supply. 

I  went  out  to  see  what  I  could  see.  Hearing  again  a  humming 
noise,  such  as  I  heard  before,  when  the  priests  were  chanting,  but 


262  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

coming  from  another  direction,  I  followed  the  sounds  for  some  time, 
but  could  not  ascertain  from  what  room  they  proceeded.  After  going 
back  and  forth  several  times,  again  and  again  coming  into  the  same 
court,  I  cast  my  eyes  up  to  the  roof  of  the  building,  and  discovered 
that  it  Avas  the  humming  of  a  hive  of  bees.  I  then  made  my  way  to 
the  same  building  in  which  I  saw  the  monks  performing  yesterday, 
and  again  found  them  in  their  forms  of  worship.  I  stopped  a  few 
minutes,  but  thought  I  was  receiving  about  as  much  benefit  by  observ- 
ing these  idiotic  ceremonies  as  in  the  wild-bee  chase. 

A  word  respecting  the  situation  and  general  appearance  of  tlie 
place.  The  monastery  is  a  group  of  buildings,  of  a  variety  of  forms 
and  sizes,  occupying  an  area  of  more  than  a  million  of  square  feet. 
Its  depth,  as  I  paced  it  one  evening  in  the  dark,  is  three  hundred  and 
fifty  paces,  or  more  than  one  thousand  feet ;  and  it  appears  to  be  about 
the  same  in  width.  The  buildings  are  enclosed  by  a  high  wall  on  all 
sides  except  the  front,  and  are  connected  with  each  other  by  flights 
of  stone  steps  and  terraces.  The  principal  buildings  are  the  five 
temples,  containing  the  largest  idols.  They  stand  on  five  terraces, 
rising  one  above  and  behind  the  other,  in  rows  like  files  of  soldiers. 
The  other  buildings  are  arranged  like  a  square,  so  as  to  surround  the 
temples,  and  are  divided  into  almost  innumerable  rooms  for  sleeping, 
lodges  for  small  idols,  and  for  all  the  various  purposes  contingent  to 
a  large  family,  or  community,  of  between  one  and  two  hundred  indi- 
viduals. It  is  situated,  with  the  extensive  grounds  attached,  in  a  kind 
of  nook,  at  the  extreme  end  of  a  long,  deep,  pretty  and  fertile  valley  ; 
and  large  mountains  rise  up  behind,  nearly  encircling  it.  On  the 
inclined  base  of  these  mountains  are  erected  the  buildings,  on  one 
side  of  which,  and  extending  back,  are  the  cultivated  grounds,  while 
directly  behind  are  a  thick  brushwood  and  small  trees.  The  incli- 
nation of  the  mountain  gives  rise  to  the  series  of  terraces  spoken  of 
before. 

In  approaching  the  monastery,  when  within  about  a  third  of  a  mile 
we  entered  a  beautiful  winding  walk,  quite  narrow,  but  shaded  on 
each  side  with  a  row  of  tall  trees.  It  leads  on  the  right  into  an  open 
semi-circular  space,  fronting  the  buildings.  In  the  middle  of  this  open 
space  is  an  artificial  lake,  with  a  nicely-paved  walk  all  around  it.  On 
arriving  here,  one  seems  to  be  entirely  secluded  from  the  world,  and 
can  see  nothing  but  the  mountains,  the  tall  trees,  the  buildings  of  the 
monastery,  and  the  sky  overhead.  In  front  of  the  lake,  by  the  side 
of  the  high  brick  wall,  is  a  small  pagoda  and  six  vases,  each  about 


TEEN-TUNG    MONASTERY. CURIOSITY   OF    PRIESTS.  263 

fifteen  feet  high.  In  the  vases  are  apertures,  in  which  ashes  are 
deposited,  I  suppose  from  the  urns  inside  the  temples.  They  look 
antique,  appear  somewhat  classical,  and  are  quite  ornamental  to  the 
place.  The  monastery  is  endowed,  and  supports  itself  from  its  own 
resources. 

It  is  said  that  one  of  the  former  emperors  of  China  lived  here  as  a 
monk  in  disguise.  He  had  become  wearied  with  the  troubles  and 
anxieties  of  public  life,  and  secretly  resorted  to  this  place,  and  joined 
the  fraternity.  He  continued  to  live  here  for  some  years,  when,  being 
discovered,  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  his  throne.  While  here,  he 
built  the  pretty  walk,  planted  the  fine  trees  leading  to  the  monastery, 
and  made  other  improvements  with  his  money. 

To  reach  the  first  temple  from  the  space  in  front,  an  ascent  of  twenty 
stone  steps  is  necessary ;  advancing  thirty  feet,  there  is  an  ascent  of 
four  steps  more,  when  the  entrance  is  attained.  In  the  middle  of  the 
room  a  large  god,  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  height,  is  the  first 
object  that  meets  the  eye.  While  sitting  here  I  made  a  few  notes  on 
the  blank  leaves  of  a  yellow-covered  book  which  I  had  brought  to 
read.  Yellow  is  the  imperial  color,  and  as  soon  as  the  monks  observed 
it  they  collected  around  me  with  the  greatest  curiosity,  evidently 
thinking  that  it  emanated  from  the  emperor.  One  commenced  pulling 
up  the  leaves,  little  by  little,  stooping,  with  his  head  lower  than  the 
book,  to  see  what  was  inside  ;  another  caught  sight  of  a  map,  and  was 
trying  to  feel  it  with  his  fingers,  looking  at  it  as  if  it  were  some  largo 
hieroglyphic  ;  one  was  making  remarks  on  the  curious  English  letters ; 
another  saw  two  or  three  Chinese  characters  interspersed  among  the 
printings,  and  began  trying  to  pronounce  them  aloud,  and  others, 
hearing  him,  gathered  around,  and,  not  agreeing  in  the  view  he  took 
of  them,  joined  in  with  their  voices,  pronouncing  for  themselves,  till 
finally  numbers  of  them  were  pronouncing  on  their  own  account,  and 
others  were  arguing  and  discussing.  It  was  a  confusion  of  Hoe-hee- 
ching-larr,  fow-lee-yung-tze,  chow-ts-de-shing-kwb,  or  some  other 
indescribable  sounds,  as  if  one  was  in  the  midst  of  a  flock  of  geese. 
While  this  was  going  on,  one  of  the  monks  was  examining  my  coat, 
and  another  my  handkerchief,  pulling  it  partly  from  my  pocket ;  one, 
whose  curiosity  urged  him  a  little  further,  feeling  something  outside 
the  coat-pocket,  thrust  his  hand  inside,  exploring  the  recesses,  pulling 
out  articles,  and  examining  them,  with  many  expressions  of  wonder  at 
his  discovery.  One  handled  my  whiskers,  running  his  fingers  through 
them  with  evident  pleasure ;  and  another  gently  pulled  off  and  examined 


264  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

my  cap,  turning  it  over  and  over,  with  a  face  full  of  astonishment. 
One  stooped  down  and  felt  of  my  shoes,  as  if  he  thought  them  made 
of  polished  iron,  and  then  pulled  up  the  pantaloons  to  look  at  my 
stockings ;  and  another  took  hold  of  a  button,  looking  at  it  as  we 
would  examine  a  diamond.  In  many  other  things  they  were  equally 
curious,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  pick  me  to  pieces  ;  yet  I  did 
not  interfere  much  with  them,  in  order  the  better  to  observe  their 
operations. 

They  asked  me  many  questions,  which  I  could  only  answer  by  shak- 
ing my  head ;  and  they  continued  until  my  head  was  dizzy.  They 
seemed  to  think  that  I  should  be  able  to  answer  something,  and  perse- 
vered till  the  ceaseless  motion  of  my  head — first  to  one  and  then  to 
another  —  became  altogether  top  tedious.  Up  to  the  hundredth  time 
they  were  not  able  to  understand  that  I  could  not  converse  with  them  ; 
and  yet,  when  they  asked  me  a  question,  holding  their  head  so  still 
and  peering  into  my  face  so  inquisitively,  I  could  not  refrain  from 
either  giving  a  shake  of  the  head,  or  saying  boo  to  them.  At  last  I 
turned  on  them,  asking  them  questions  in  English  j  and  they  began 
to  perceive  that  it  was  as  difficult  for  them  to  converse  with  me,  as 
it  was  for  me  to  answer  them ;  and  I  was  less  annoyed.  As  one 
thing  led  to  another,  they  caught  sight  of  a  picture,  which  I  en- 
deavored to  explain  by  signs,  and  succeeded  pretty  well.  I  sought 
also  to  render  our  alphabet  intelligible  to  them,  and,  to  show  them 
the  simplicity  of  our  language  in  comparison  with  theirs,  that  with 
only  twenty-six  characters  I  could  select  four  or  five,  and  spell  any 
of  their  words.  Only  two  or  three  of  them,  who  appeared  more 
intelligent  than  the  others,  took  any  interest  in  the  letters ;  but 
when  these  saw  how  they  could  be  managed,  and  seemed  to  under- 
stand the  principle,  they  burst  out  with  a  ha-a-a-ar-a-ar,  and  were 
much  pleased.  I  would  get  them  to  pronounce  one  of  their  great 
intricate  characters,  and  then  I  would  select  two,  three  or  four  letters 
.  from  the  alphabet,  and,  showing  them  singly,  place  them  together 
beside  their  character,  and  pronounce  them  as  they  had  done  it ;  and 
when  I  had  gathered  a  considerable  number  of  their  characters,  and 
could,  with  the  aid  of  our  letters  alongside,  speak  them  correctly, 
they  appeared  to  be  delighted  and  astonished,  and  looked  upon  me  as 
if  I  was  a  conjurer,  or  something  as  singular.  As  some  of  them  went 
away,  others  were  constantly  coming ;  and  I  began  to  find  myself  too 
much  occupied,  especially  as  I  was  obliged  to  go  through  with  the 
same  explanations,  over  again  and  again,  to  each  new  comer.  There- 


DESCRIPTION   OF    THE   IDOLS.  265 

fore,  at  the  first  convenient  opportunity,  I  left  them  rather  abruptly, 
much  to  my  relief,  though  without  having  accomplished  my  notings 
of  the  place. 

I  waited  till  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  when  they  had  all  dispersed 
to  their  rooms,  and  then  went  in  and  resumed  my  writing.  Near  the 
centre  of  the  hall -stands,  or  rather  sits,  cross-legged,  a  great,  dis- 
agreeable-looking bronze  idol.  It  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high, 
is  represented  as  very  fat,  with  an  immense  belly,  and  laughing  as  if 
very  happy.  Before  him  is  suspended  a  lantern,  and  in  it  a  dim  red 
light  is  burning,  which,  I  believe,  is  never  permitted  to  go  out.  On  a 
table-like  altar  in  front  Josh-sticks  have  been  lighted  and  are  smoking. 
In  front  of  this  table  is  a  large  metallic  urn,  for  containing  the  ashes 
of  the  Josh-sticks  and  offerings.  Before  the  altar,  in  a  line,  are  three 
stools,  covered  with  little  mats,  for  the  worshipper  to  kneel  on.  Above, 
near  the  roof,  is  an  inscription  of  Chinese  in  gilt  letters  ;  and  each 
side  of  a  post,  extending  from  the  roof  to  the  floor,  is  lined  with  the 
same  kind  of  characters. 

On  the  right  of  the  hall  were  two  other  gods,  facing  towards  the 
left,  also  in  a  sitting  posture,  the  legs  being  turned  out,  and  the  right 
foot  of  each  resting  on  the  back  of  a  tortoise.  They  were  about 
twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high,  and  eighteen  feet  in  circumference 
around  their  middle.  They  were  ornamented  with  bright  and  various 
colors,  and  gilded  and  decorated  in  a  profuse  manner,  appearing  more 
like  theatrical  characters  than  gods.  Many  smaller  figures  of  the 
human  form  are  about  the  feet  of  the  larger  ones,  as  if  paying  them 
homage.  These  also  are  richly  and  handsomely  painted,  moulded,  and 
fashioned  in  a  similar  manner.  All  the  gods  have  shrines,  and  kneel- 
ing-stools  and  incense-sticks  placed  before  them.  The  first  of  these 
larger  gods  is  represented  as  a  black  man,  with  a  huge  beard,  holding 
a  sword  in  one  hand,  and  wearing  a  crown.  I  think  he  is  called  the 
god  of  war.  The  other  is  the  god  of  music,  with  a  complexion  light 
and  delicate,  animated  features,  and  regularly -trimmed  moustaches. 
This  one  is  playing  on  a  guitar,  and  smaller  Chinese  figures  are  play- 
ing at  its  feet. 

On  the  left  of  the  hall,  facing  towards  and  corresponding  with  those 
on  the  right,  were  two  other  gods  of  the  same  size  and  style,  and  seated 
in  the  same  manner  as  those  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hall.  One  of 
them  had  in  one  hand  a  dragon's  egg,  with  the  young  dragon  just 
presenting  itself;  while  in  its  other  hand  was  held,  writhing  about  the 
arm,  a  serpent,  which  he  was  crushing.  The  other  god  held  a  flag, 
23 


CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

and  had  a  self- conceited  expression  of  countenance,  as  if  it  were  a  very 
great  character  in  its  own  estimation.  These  were  the  gods  of  ven- 
geance and  justice. 

Behind  the  first-named  idol  is  a  goddess,  which  is  consulted  and 
worshipped  by  women  who  are  desirous  of  offspring.  She  faces  the 
opposite  door,  and  has  all  sorts  of  vases,  candle-sticks,  urns,  Josh- 
eticks,  &c.,  around  her. 

The  hall  is  high,  and  supported  by  pillars ;  the  floor  is  paved  with 
stone,  and  there  is  a  little  room  on  one  side  for  a  monk  to  sleep  in, 
the  timbers  and  wood-work  being  unpainted. 

We  now  came  to  the  second  building  of  the  monastery,  which  is 
about  fifty  feet  from  and  behind  the  other.  This  hall  contains  the 
greatest  number  of  idols,  and  is  where  the  ceremonies  of  the  monks 
are  performed.  Idols  are  arranged  all  around  the  room,  and  there 
are  several  in  the  centre. 

As  you  enter  the  door,  three  huge  gods,  twenty-five  feet  high,  ap- 
pear, looking  very  demurely,  with  eyes  cast  downwards.  Two  god- 
desses, one  on  each  side,  stand  facigg  at  right  angles.  They  are  all 
very  richly  dressed,  —  the  goddesses  particularly  so,  having  crowns  on 
their  heads.  The  others  have  nothing  on  their  heads  except  a  simple 
cap,  without  a  front-piece.  A  large  polished  brazen  vase  stands  before 
them,  full  of  ashes,  burning  incense-sticks,  &c.  There  were  many  other 
things,  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  belonging  to  the  altar  furniture, 
•which  I  knew  not  how  to  name. 

On  the  left  of  the  altar  was  a  large  iron  kettle,  used  for  a  drum  ; 
and  there  was  also  a  hollow  instrument  made  from  a  kind  of  resonant 
wood,  and  in  the  shape  of  a  large  sleigh-bell,  for  drumming  purposes. 
Its  noise  is  dull,  and  to  me  disagreeable.  Back  of  all  these  idols  is  a 
goddess,  mounted  on  an  ass,  the  head  of  the  animal  being  turned  up 
towards  her,  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  as  if  braying.  The  gods 
around  the  outside  of  this  hall  were  in  two  rows,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  room.  They  were  about  the  size  of  men,  and  of  various  designs  — 
one  god  having  a  great  many  arms  and  hands  sticking  out  from  its 


The  third  building  is  another  temple,  about  thirty  feet  back  from 
the  second  one,  and  is  merely  a  large  hall.  A  kind  of  rough  stage 
was  built  up  in  the  centre,  on  which  were  placed  a  chair  and  table. 
A  few  characters  were  inscribed  on  its  posts.  In  the  upper  part 
of  this  building,  and  flying  about,  were  a  large  number  of  birds, 
which  appeared  to  be  its  sole  occupants,  making  their  nests  on  the 


TEEN-TCNG    MONASTERY. A   CHINESE    LADY  WORSHIPPING.    267 

sills  and  beams,  which  in  Chinese  buildings  extend  across  "in  every 
direction. 

The  fourth  building  is  the  Ancestral  Temple.  This  was  a  smaller 
hall,  and  containing  nothing  but  the  tablets  with  the  names  of  the 
departed  whom  they  wish  to  worship. 

The  other  buildings  form  the  fifth  and  last  range,  and  branch  off  on 
both  sides,  containing  a  great  number  of  rooms.  In  many  of  these 
are  a  variety  of  idols,  of  a  small  size  ;  but  the  rooms  are  mostly  inhab- 
ited by  the  ifionks  as  their  own  private  cells.  In  one  of  these  buildings, 
which  is  two  stories  high,  is  suspended  an  enormous  bell,  from  ten  to 
fourteen  feet  long,  and  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  in  its  greatest  circum- 
ference. A  monk  lives  in  the  lower  story,  surrounded  by  his  idols,  and 
remains,  with  one  associate,  in  constant  attendance  on  the  bell,  which 
they  strike  at  intervals  of  about  five  minutes,  day  and  night.  Its  low 
tones  and  prolonged  vibration  break  on  the  ear  like  a  death-knell ;  and 
its  solemn  notes,  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  have  kept  me  awake  for 
hours. 

All  the  buildings  comprising  the  temple  have  existed  a  long  time, 
—  for  eight  hundred  years,  I  am  told,  —  and  they  are  at  this  time 
much  out  of  repair. 

Under  other  circumstances  I  should  not  have  considered  myself 
well  enough,  this  morning,  to  have  appeared  outside  my  room  ;  but, 
knowing  that  this  was  the  only  opportunity  I  should  have  to  further 
observe  this  strange  fraternity,  I  made  extra  exertions,  and  arose  at  an 
early  hour  of  the  morning. 

Soon  after  my  interview  with  the  priests  of  yesterday,  I  observed  a 
Chinese  lady  in  a  mountain  chair,  followed  by  a  priest  in  another 
ohair,  approaching  the  monastery,  and  they  soon  alighted  inside  of  the 
first  temple.  She  was  not  very  handsome,  but  had  small  feet,  though 
not  diminished  to  the  smallest  size,  which  was  sufficient  to  entitle  her 
to  some  consideration.  Her  hair  was  done  up  in  a  large  mass  on  the 
back  of  her  head,  and  was  oiled,  smoothed,  and  ornamented  with 
white  flowers ;  and  she  had  a  very  consequential  air,  as  if  she  thought 
herself  of  considerable  importance.  I  only  wondered  that,  like  all  others, 
she  was  not  afraid  of  me  ;  but  she  seemed  only  to  regard  me  with  some 
suspicion.  She  advanced,  gave  me  a  scrutinizing  look,  as  did  also  the 
priest,  and  then  kneeled  several  times  before  the  god,  each  time  strik- 
ing her  head  against  the  stool  on  which  her  knees  rested.  Her  attend- 
ant priest  went  through  the  same  ceremony,  generally  leading  the  way 
and  setting  the  example.  They  then  went  round  to  the  goddess  on  the 


268  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

other  side,  and,  with  heads  bowed,  presented  incense-sticks.  Having 
consulted  her  a  while,  they  went  through  many  forms,  advancing  and 
receding,  holding  the  burning  sticks  in  their  hands,  bowing,  kneeling, 
striking  the  head,  and  addressing  imploring  words  to  the  goddess, 
making  known  their  petitions,  requests,  &c. 

She  then  passed,  with  the  priest,  out  of  the  first  building,  and  en- 
tered the  second,  where  she  chin-chinned  for  a  time  ;  and  then  return- 
ing with  a  number  of  priests,  they  broke  into  a  chant  before  the  god- 
dess. The  priests  in  a  row  chanted  and  kept  time  to  a  little  bell,  amid 
the  wafting  smoke  of  incense-sticks,  while  the  lady  bowed  and  knelt 
over  and  over  again,  till  I  was  tired  of  observing  her.  She  did  not 
appear  in  the  least  fatigued,  nor  did  she  appear  to  strike  her  head 
over  and  above  hard  against  the  paved  stones  of  the  floor. 

One  little  simpleton  of  a  monk,  whom  I  pushed  from  me  for  his 
excessive  familiarity,  handed  her  incense-sticks,  presenting  them  on 
one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  a  whole  bundle  at  a  time,  as  if  this 
was  of  great  importance.  After  this,  one  of  the  leading  monks  —  I 
recognized  him  as  the  one  who  explained  to  the  other  monks  this  morn- 
ing —  led  her  through  some  doors  that  fastened  behind  them,  and  I 
pursued  my  way  to  my  own  room,  to  breakfast. 

Passing  up  by  the  dining-hall  of  the  monks,  I  observed  many  of 
them  at  their  morning  meal.  There  were  about  eighty  together. 
Dishes  filled  and  heaped  with  rice  stood  before  them,  and  by  the  side 
of  each  was  a  bowl  of  greens.  They  were  mumbling  over  to  them- 
selves, when  I  first  saw  them,  something  that  I  imagined  to  be  a  kind 
of  "  grace  ;  "  and  then  they  all  commenced  in  good  earnest  with  their 
chopsticks,  stuffing  their  checks  to  the  size  of  small  bladders.  Having 
their  bowls  replenished  several  times  with  rice,  they  gobbled  it  down 
like  turkeys.  I  looked  in  at  the  open  windows  during  the  whole  meal, 
on  which  they  were  so  intent  that  no  one  looked  up  to  notice  me.  The 
meal  consisted  only  of  rice  and  boiled  greens,  each  pinching  up  with 
his  chopsticks  one  morsel  of  the  greens  to  about  six  mouthfuls  of  rice. 
When  they  had  concluded  their  meal,  one  leading  monk  walked  down 
through  the  middle  and  came  out ;  and  then  all  the  others  arose, 
struck  into  a  chant,  bowing  towards  and  from  their  idol,  and  marched 
out  in  single  file. 

I  soon  returned  from  my  breakfast  of  a  single  boiled  egg,  and,  hear- 
ing a  queer,  buzzing  noise,  I  followed  the  sound  to  the  second  build- 
ing, where  I  found  candles  burning,  and  a  great  parade  of  monks.  I 
thought  the  worship  of  the  lady  had  been  concluded ;  but  here  she 


CEREMONIES. THE   ABBOT.  269 

was,  in  the  midst  of  eighty  or  ninety  priests,  marching  in  single  file 
before  the  gods.  They  passed  back  and  forth  between  the  kneeling- 
stools,  doubling  their  Hues,  until  there  were  eight  or  ten  moving  in 
opposite  directions,  but  in  one  continuous  line,  stepping  to  the  time 
of  their  chanting,  and  the  drumming  of  the  hollow  wood,  the  whole 
looking  to  me  inexpressibly  foolish. 

Each  person  has  a  kneeliug-stool,  like  a  little  desk  about  six  inches 
high,  which  arc  all  arranged,  like  men  on  a  checker-board,  before  the 
shrine.  On  a  table,  before  the  idols,  were  offerings,  such  as  bowls  of 
various  kinds  of  food,  and  one  or  two  hundred  packages  containing 
twenty  cash  each.  These  offerings,  I  suppose,  were  made  by  the  lady, 
and  go  as  a  perquisite  to  the  monks,  who  assist  her  devotions.  The 
whole  amount  would  not  be  two  dollars,  which  would  allow  each 
monk  about  two  cents.  Four  little  boys,  who  were  learning  to  become 
priests,  were  with  the  monks,  taking  part  with  the  lady  at  their 
devotions. 

As  I  stood  at  the  door,  looking  in  on  them,  the  monk  who  was  con- 
ducting the  ceremony  came  and  asked  me  inside,  politely  giving  me 
a  seat.  He  was  tall,  and  I  recognized  him  as  the  one  who  was  the 
most  intelligent  and  interested  in  my  explanations  of  our  alphabet. 
He  appeared  to  have  the  most  sense  of  any  of  them,  though  none  to 
spare.  Through  the  servants  I  learned  that  he  was  the  head  of  the 
whole  tribe  here  —  the  abbot. 

lie  had  a  cup  of  tea  brought  me,  and  occasionally  came  himself  and 
took  a  seat  beside  me,  looking  over,  with  much  interest  and  profound 
curiosity,  to  see  me  taking  notes  in  the  book  with  yellow  covers. 
Sometimes  a  leaf  would  open  a  little,  disclosing  a  Chinese  character, 
when  he  would  spring  at  it  with  his  fingers  to  examine  it.  I  then  had 
to  make  signs,  as  if  in  explanation  of  it,  to  afford  an  excuse  for  clos- 
ing the  ptige,  so  as  to  go  on  with  my  notes.  He  appeared  to  under- 
stand my  signs,  —  though  I  did  not  myself,  —  and  answered  with 
gutturals  of  approbation. 

The  lady,  seeing  him  with  me,  a  foreigner,  became  somewhat  dis- 
concerted, and  too  agitated  to  proceed  ;  so  that  the  abbot  was  obliged 
to  leave  me  and  go  to  her,  with  which  arrangement  I  was  quite 
pleased.  He  whispered  a  few  words  to  her  by  which  she  was  pacified, 
when,  giving  me  a  searching  glance,  she  resumed  her  observances.  The 
abbot  directed  her  when  and  where  to  kneel,  and  gave  her  the  burning 
incense-sticks  to  offer  to  the  idols.  Several  of  the  knceling-stools 
seemed  to  be  particularly  applicable  to  her  case,  and  necessary  for  her 
23* 


270  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

to  kneel  on.  She  would  kneel  on  one,  knock  her  head  over  it  on  the 
pavements,  usually  three  times,  but  often  more  than  twenty  ;  and  then 
go  to  another  stool,  repeat  the  same  ceremony,  —  and  so  on  to  the 
others.  She  never  looked  up  at  the  idols,  but  kept  her  eyes  cast  down 
before  them.  The  chanting  of  the  monks  continued,  and  she  contin- 
ued her  round  for  a  half-hour  after  the  monks  had  all  stopped  beside 
their  stools.  They  now  all  bowed  together,  all  clasped  their  hands  in 
a  particular  way,  raised  them,  and  let  them  fall  again.  Then  those  on 
one  side  would  bow,  go  down,  kneel,  and  bump  their  heads  ;  and  then 
those  on  the  other  side,  in  see-saw  fashion  ;  and  while  one  half  of  the 
company  were  going  down,  the  other  half  were  coming  up,  making 
the  scene  a  little  theatrical.  After  a  while  the  priest  led  her  away  to 
the  first  building,  where  they  concluded  their  ceremonies  by  kneeling, 
by  offerings  of  incense-sticks  in  bunches  of  two  or  three  hundred,  and 
burning  large  quantities  of  silver  and  gold  paper. 

At  last  she  shook  a  bamboo  box  of  tablets  till  one  fell  out,  with 
some  motto  in  Chinese  on  it,  which  the  priest  interpreted,  giving  her 
a  corresponding  slip  of  paper,  which,  I  suppose,  after  being  burnt, 
entitles  her  to  some  thousands  of  cash,  or  admits  her  to  some  privi- 
leges or  spiritual  honors  in  the  next  world.  Any  person,  by  paying  a 
few  cash,  can  shake  the  box  and  obtain  a  similar  receipt.  The  lady 
now  chin-chinned  the  principal  god,  and  with  her  companion,  the 
priest,  departed  in  their  sedan-chairs. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TEEN-TCNG     MOUNTAINS. ASCENT. DECEPTIVE    PEAKS. VIEW    FROM 

THE   SUMMIT. DESCENT. MONASTIC   MUMMERT,   ETC. 

WEDNESDAY,  July  18th.  —  I  rose  quite  early  this  morning,  and  walked 
with  Mr.  West  out  behind  the  monastery,  and  up  the  mountain-side. 
As  the  country  beyond  appeared  interesting,  and  we  had  ascended 
half-way,  we  decided  to  send  the  boy  back  for  our  breakfast,  and 
meanwhile  to  continue  our  stroll  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
return  to  this  place  for  refreshments. 

For  a  part  of  the  way  our  path  was  the  dry  bed  of  a  former  rivulet, 
and  in  other  places  we  could  see  no  path  to  guide  us ;  but,  pushing 


ASCENT   OF   TEEN-TUNG   MOUNTAINS.  271 

through  the  bushes,  which  were  about  our  own  height  and  densely 
thick,  they  opened  on  the  path. 

As  I  was  passing  ahead  of  my  companion,  I  heard  a  hacking  sound 
in  the  bushes,  some  little  distance  in  advance  of  me.  I  stopped  to 
listen,  but  could  not  satisfy  myself  as  to  its  nature,  and  went  on. 
Coming  nearer,  I  discovered  that  it  was  a  Chinaman  with  a  cleaver, 
cutting  brush.  I  came  up  unperceived,  gave  the  bushes  at  his  side  a 
knock  with  my  stick,  and  the  poor  fellow  jumped  and  gave  a  long  and 
deep  inspiration,  with  an  earnest  stare  at  me.  He  looked  so  astonished 
and  frightened  that  I  could  not  refrain  from  laughing.  Perceiving 
that  he  was  in  no  danger,  he  laughed  himself,  and  showed  me,  by  pat- 
ting on  his  breast,  the  momentary  agitation  of  his  heart.  I  chin- 
chinned  him,  and  went  on,  expecting  to  get  frightened  myself  before 
reaching  the  top  of  the  mountain.  The  day  was  very  hot,  and  the  way 
long;  and  it  appeared  to  me  to  be  just  the  place  for- snakes  and 
venomous  reptiles. 

The  ascent  was  very  steep,  and  we  were  obliged,  at  short  intervals, 
to  stop  and  rest,  from  fatigue  and  the  great  heat  of  the  sun.  Our 
umbrellas,  when  we  could  use  them,  were  of  little  protection,  the  sun 
beating  through  them  as  if  they  were  made  of  gauze.  The  latter  part 
of  the  way  was  through  high  grass  or  flags,  which  grew  very  long  and 
thick.  The  path  on  this  part  of  the  mountain,  as  it  wound  around 
on  the  very  edge  of  the  steep  sides,  was  almost  obliterated  ;  and  it  was 
necessary  to  use  some  care,  lest  we  should  step  off  and  tumble  down 
the  declivity,  in  which  case  it  would  be  impossible  to  say  where  we 
should  bring  up.  As  we  pushed  along,  the  grass  generally  parted  over 
the  path,  and  showed  us  where  to  make  the  next  step.  After  consid- 
erable toil  we  reached  the  summit,  and  were  not  a  little  surprised  to 
find  the  top  of  the  mountain,  which,  below,  looked  perfectly  smooth, 
covered  with  rich,  thick  grass,  about  two  feet  high,  which  we  tram- 
pled down  so  as  to  mark  where  to  find  the  path  again.  We  ascended 
to  the  highest  point,  and  took  a  view  of  the  group  of  buildings  we  had 
left,  the  monastery  appearing  like  little  play-houses  made  by  boys 
with  old  shingles. 

It  was  exceedingly  beautiful  to  look  over  the  tops  of  the  thick  foli- 
age, so  dense  that  it  seemed  as  if  one  might  walk  on  it,  and  down  the 
huge  ravine  into  the  little  cultivated  spot  below.  It  was  also  pretty 
to  look  across  the  ravine  on  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain, 
which  half  shut  out  the  rest  of  the  world.  Our  view  in  that  direc- 
tion extended  many  miles  inland,  but  only  to  the  successive  ranges  of 


272  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

mountains,  which  rose  one  above  the  other,  until  the  last  range  met 
and  mixed  with  the  clouds  in  the  horizon ;  while  those  on  the  other 
side  of  the  valley,  through  which  we  came  in  our  chairs  to  the 
monastery,  appeared  like  chains  of  diminutive  hills. 

I  watched  with  much  interest  a  large  body  of  white  vapor,  floating 
past,  nearly  on  a  level  with,  and  but  a  few  feet  below  us.  It  came 
over  the  top  of  the  mountain  we  were  on,  and  just  grazed  the  tops  of 
others  in  the  vicinity,  while  over  other  mountains  it  floated  without 
touching,  leaving  some  of  them  far  beneath.  When  below  us  it 
looked  like  a  body  of  white  cotton,  and  seemed  almost  compact  enough 
for  me  to  jump  on  and  be  floated  by  it  over  to  the  other  mountains. 
Towards  the  south  the  horizon  in  the  distance  rested  on  the  blue 
ocean,  studding  which,  like  jewels,  lay  the  Chusan  Islands.  Nearer  to 
us  the  sea  was  full  of  junks,  sailing  ;  then  came  the  coast,  and  then 
the  flat  and  low  lands  up  to  the  mountains  just  below  us.  The  moun- 
tains looked  like  large  sugar-loafs,  being  so  situated  that  we  could 
look  over  and  around  them,  and  to  the  lowest  depths  of  the  valleys 
between.  Some  of  these  valleys  were  fearfully  deep,  and  it  made  us 
almost  giddy  to  look  into  them.  Each  mountain  seemed  to  be  of  a 
conical  shape,  with  numbers  of  ravines  coursing  down  its  sides  ; 
and  all  together  looked  as  much  like  a  painting  as  reality. 

I  was  unwilling  to  withdraw  my  eyes  from  the  scene  ;  but  we  con- 
cluded to  ascend  another  still  higher  peak,  a  short  distance  on  our  left, 
and  set  out  towards  it.  This  appeared  so  smooth  on  the  top  that  we 
thought  we  should  be  free  of  the  long  wet  grass.  We  found  it  a  diffi- 
cult process  to  ascend,  the  way  being  very  steep,  over  rocks,  bushes 
and  briers ;  and  the  grass,  if  anything,  higher  than  where  we  had 
before  passed.  However,  we  did  ascend,  and  there  had  the  satisfaction, 
or  dissatisfaction,  of  observing  another  peak,  that  was  still  higher. 
Being  determined  to  reach  the  most  elevated  summit,  we  set  off  again, 
running  and  jumping  over  such  rocks  as  we  could,  making  the  descent 
of  the  declivitous  peak  without  any  great  difficulty;  and  then,  after 
a  good  climb,  we  reached  the  top  of  the  other.  But  what  was  our 
surprise  to  see  another  peak,  still  higher,  beyond!  Again  we 
descended,  but  content  to  take  it  a  little  slower  than  the  last.  After  a 
tedious  climb  over  cragged  ledges  and  through  prickly  brambles,  we 
came  to  the  summit.  Taking  a  single  glance  to  see  that  we  were  all 
right,  that  there  was  nothing  beyond,  we  sat  down  and  rested,  and 
congratulated  each  other  on  our  good  fortune,  though  we  were  not 
forgetful  that  we  should  have  it  all  to  go  over  again  on  our  return  ; 


ASCENT    OF    TEEN-TUNG    MOUNTAINS.  278 

and'that  our  frail  sfeoes  were  giving  out,  —  a  kind  of  Chinese  shoes, 
made  of  rushes  twisted  and  woven,  soft  to  the  feet,  but  not  calculated 
for  rough  service. 

On  rising  to  our  feet  to  take  a  last  view  before  descending  home- 
ward, what  was  our  disappointment  to  discover,  a  little  on  one  side,  a 
large  oval  mound,  evidently  higher  by  a  hundred  feet  than  the  one  we 
W'.TO  on  !  It  was  so  much  to  the  left,  out  of  the  range  of  the  others, 
that  we  had  not  before  noticed  it.  We  glanced  a  moment  at  each 
other,  and  then  over  the  intervening  ground.  There  was  a  consider- 
able descent,  and  we  must  go  round  quite  a  distance  in  order  to 
gain  its  top  ;  but  each  saw  that  t4ie  face  of  the  other  expressed 
"  no  backing  out."  It  was  decided,  without  a  word  being  spoken,  and 
away  we  started  for  that  eminence.  Our  feet  had  begun  to  be 
sore,  but  we  pushed  on  till  we  came  to  its  top.  This  peak  also  was 
covered  with  thick,  rich  grass,  and  the  ascent  differed  little  from  the 
others.  After  a  little  rest  on  the  ground,  we  arose  and  found  ourselves 
repaid  for  our  prolonged  fatigue  ;  for  this  eminence  commanded  a  full 
view  entirely  around  us.  We  could  overlook  everything  else,  which 
fully  convinced  us  that  we  were  now  at  the  highest  point,  and  that  we 
were  realizing  the  attainment  of  our  wishes. 

It  was  a  magnificent  sight.  We  had  a  complete  bird's  eye  view  of 
everything  below  us.  The  tops  of  mountains  on  which  we  looked 
down  seemed  like  large  sugar-loaves  in  size  ;  and  the  valleys,  which 
we  had  thought  very  wide,  now  appeared  like  a  succession  of  trenches 
dug  deep  into  the  earth,  the  sides  seeming  nearly  perpendicular,  and 
extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  in  that  direction.  As  we  faced 
the  east,  looking  over  the  heights,  there  was  beneath  us  an  immense 
tract  of  country,  as  level  as  a  body  of  water.  It  appeared  like  a  vast 
meadow,  the  canals  like  ditches,  the  rusty-looking  villages  like  bunches 
of  red  water  brush,  and  the  winding  Ningpoo  river  shone  like  a  piece 
of  white  satin  ribbon.  We  could  see  distinctly  the  high  fortifications 
on  the  mountains  that  guard  the  entrance  to  the  river,  the  Chusan 
group  of  islands  like  pincushions  dotting  the  silvery-  expanse,  and 
junks  floating  along  the  channel  like  bits  of  shavings.  Nearer  was 
the  pagoda  at  Nuwong,  which  we  had  left  a  few  days  ago.  In  the  dis- 
tance, towards  the  west,  was  a  group  of  lakes,  reflecting  the  rays  of 
the  sun  like  mirrors  ;  and  near  them  a  great  stone,  standing  conspic- 
uously alone.  What  this  was  we  could  not  make  out.  It  looked  like 
a  rough  monument  of  some  kind,  with  the  base  turned  upwards.  We 
determined  to  visit  it,  and  so  know  all  about  it. 


274  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

We  could  have  enjoyed  the  scene  for  hours,  and  it  was  very  reluct- 
antly that  we  commenced  our  return.  Being  very  thirsty,  and  thero 
being  no  water  to  be  had,  we  picked  a  few  red  berries  by  the  way, 
which  moistened  our  mouths  a  little.  An  old  wall,  long  since  fallen 
down,  ran  over  the  tops  of  the  heights  and  down  the  mountain's  sides 
beyond  us.  We  could  not  imagine,  for  a  time,  its  possible  design  in 
such  a  high  place,  but  at  length  concluded  that  it  was  built  to  bound 
the  lauds  belonging  to  the  monastery.  We  made  our  way  back 
through  the  disagreeable  grass,  which  was  full  of  all  kinds  of  insects 
(we  did  not  know  what  else  might  be  lurking  there,  to  surprise  us) ; 
and  our  frail  rush  shoes  we  could  hardly  keep  on  our  feet,  and  had 
frequently  to  stop  to  bind  them  on  with  strings. 

We  succeeded  in  getting  back,  finding  with  some  difficulty  the  old 
place,  where  we  beat  down  the  grass,  but  we  were  very  much  fatigued. 
After  resting  a  while,  and  taking  another  look  at  the  rare  scenery,  we 
continued  our  descent,  and  met  the  boy  with  the  breakfast.  Mr.. 
W.'s  boy  had  given  out,  and  mine  had  brought  it  alone.  Seating 
ourselves  in  the  path,  we  partook  with  little  ceremony.  There  were 
rice,  eggs,  a  fowl,  and  hot  tea.  Being  refreshed,  I  felt  better  able  to 
go  on  than  before.  My  boy  went  down  again  to  bring  up  Mr.  West's 
materials  for  sketching,  while  J  pursued  my  way  loiteringly  down  the 
mountain,  hardly  keeping  my  shoes  together  till  I  could  arrive  at 
the  bottom.  Proceeding  to  my  room,  tired,  and  my  feet  sore,  I  lay 
down  on  my  bed,  and  did  not  awake  till  near  night. 

On  rising,  I  walked  out,  in  and  about  the  different  buildings,  for 
new  discoveries.  In  the  second  row  of  buildings  I  found  the  monks 
about  to  perform  their  devotions,  took  a  stand  at  the  door,  and 
watched  them  till  they  were  through.  They  were  summoned  together 
by  three  beats  of  the  large  bell,  and  a  few  strokes  on  the  large  wooden 
fish  which  hangs  before  the  dining-hall  door.  They  all  passed  in,  and 
stood  beside  their  respective  kneeling-desks.  Their  heads  were  shaved 
close,  and  their  feet  bare  —  only  three  or  four  of  them  having  on  even 
rush  sandals.  -  They  were  dressed  in  long  robes  of  a  material  resem- 
bling sacking,  of  a  dirty  yellow  color,  and  so  dirty  were  they  themselves 
in  their  own  persons  that  I  doubt  their  ever  having  seen  a  piece  of 
soap.  The  robes  were  loose  under  the  right  shoulder,  and  fastened  by 
a  hook  over  the  left.  They  stood  in  lines  —  one  half  of  their  number 
on  one  side  of  the  aisle,  facing  the  other  half,  who  stood  on  the  other 
side.  Their  heads  were  inclined  forward,  the  palms  of  their  hands 
placed  together  in  front  of  the  body,  their  eyes  looking  into  vacancy, 


TEEN-TUNG    MONASTERY. PRIESTS     CEREMONIES.  '2 1  0 

and  with  an  expression  of  countenance  as  if  the  fate  of  many  soula 
really  depended  on  their  interpositions.  Two  or  three  of  their  number 
were  constantly  moving  about  among  them,  with  large  fans,  which 
they  used  with  both  hands  —  fanning  first  one,  then  another,  as  they 
saw  the  symptoms  of  heat  predominating.  The  others  stood  motion- 
less for  a  few  minutes,  when  the  abbot  gave  a  blow  on  a  large  coarse 
drum,  and  continued  this  slowly  and  regularly  for  a  certain  number 
of  times,  when  they  all  turned  half  round  and  faced  the  idols.  Three 
blows  were  then  made  on  a  hollow  piece  of  wood,  worked  out  in  the 
form  of  a  shell,  and  emitting  a  lonely,  forsaken  kind  of  sound,  and 
they  all  bowed  together  to  the  idols.  At  three  tinkles  of  a  little  bell, 
they  all  knelt  on  their  desks,  touching  their  foreheads  three  times  in 
succession  on  the  floor.  Rising,  they  placed  their  hands  together, 
turned  and  bowed  to  the  idols,  and  then  turned  back  to  their  places. 
The  abbot  then  struck  on  the  large  kettle,  and  commenced  to  chant 
something  like  "  fah-tee-lah-me,"  in  which  they  all  joined,  —  repeat- 
ing the  same  over  and  over  together,  keeping  time  with  the  iron  kettle, 
the  hollow  wood,  and  the  little  bell,  together.  They  drum  on  these 
instruments  with  little  mallets,  giving  a  rap  at  each  syllable,  which 
are  all  spoken  at  equal  intervals,  as  if  they  were  the  syllables  of  one 
long  word,  the  end  of  which  is  only  reached  when  the  sounds  stop. 
The  instruments  first  came  in  singly,  then,  one  by  one,  all  together, 
and  with  their  low,  gruff,  unmusical  voices  pitched  at  different 
keys,  but  each  one  continuing  on  his  own  key,  and  all  articulating  at 
the  same  time,  with  now  and  then  an  expressive  response  from  the  big 
drum,  the  sounds  were  discordant  enough,  and  not  very  unlike  the 
music  of  a  corn-cracking-mill.  They  chanted  very  slowly  for  a  while, 
increasing  gradually  till  they  got  into  very  quick  time.  Finally,  it 
was  as  much  as  they  could  do  to  speak  fast  enough  to  keep  up  with 
the  mallets. 

After  half  an  hour,  as  they  all  were  standing,  chanting  away,  and 
looking  like  statuary  idiots  (for  they  made  no  movement  except  with 
their  lips),  at  the  tinkle  of  the  bell  they  raised  their  hands,  with  closed 
palms  in  front  of  the  chest ;  at  another  tinkle,  they  dropped  them  a 
few  inches,  all  together,  like  machines  ;  a  tinkle  again,  and  they  laid 
them  over  each  other  on  the  waist,  —  all  the  time  continuing  the 
"  fah-tee-lah-me- fah-tee-lah-me -fah-tee-lah-me,"  with  the  beating  of 
the  drums  and  kettles. 

With  their  burning  lights,  their  arrangement  of  vases,  urns,  &c., 
they  remind  one  of  the  Roman  Catholic  service.  In  truth,  I  should 


276  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

be  inclined  to  think  that  their  mixed  religion  originated  with   the 
Catholics,  or  that  the  Catholics  had  copied  from  them. 

During  these  ceremonies  I  stood  leaning  against  a  stone  pedestal 
outside  the  door,  when  one  of  the  monks  brought  out  a  little  pewter 
cup,  which  he  had  just  presented  to  the  idols  by  holding  it  up  to  them 
and  mumbling  something.  In  the  cup  was  some  water,  with  four  or 
five  rice-kernels,  which  he  poured  on  the  top  of  the  pedestal  —  placing 
the  kernels  in  a  certain  position,  then  snapping  the  middle  one  off 
with  his  finger-nail,  and  then  arranging  the  others,  and  in  like  man- 
ner snapping  them  all  off  but  one.  Having  snapped  at  this  several 
times,  and  not  succeeding  in  his  object,  he  let  it  remain.  He  then 
turned  the  top  of  the  cup  outward  from  him,  and  bowed  three  times 
at  something  or  nothing, — it  might  be  at  the  air,  though  he  went 
through  the  action  with  a  good  deal  of  gesticulation,  as  if  to  some 
distinguished  personage.  Perhaps  he  was  chin-chinning  Josh  for 
fruitful  crops  of  rice.  They  had  now  commenced  their  march,  walk- 
ing in  single  file,  and  doubling,  back  and  forth,  between  the  kneeling- 
stools  and  before  the  idols.  They  continued  to  march,  the  horrid 
chanting  and  drumming  still  going  on,  for  about  twenty  minutes.  Then 
one  half  of  their  number  marched  off  one  way,  and  one  half  in  tho 
other  direction,  and,  passing  around  before  the  other  idols  at  the  out- 
side of  the  room,  returned  again  to  their  places.  Continuing  here, 
and  back  and  forth,  a  little  longer,  they  again  came  to  a  stand.  They 
now  bow  facing  each  other,  all  kneel  together,  and  turn  and  bow  to 
the  idols.  Now  one  half  of  them,  all  those  on  one  side  of  the  aisle, 
stand  and  mumble  away,  while  those  on  the  other  side  bow,  kneel, 
and  bump  their  heads  on  the  floor,  for  a  few  minutes  retaining  that 
position  ;  and  then,  while  these  are  coming  up,  those  on  the  other 
side  go  down,  and  perform  in  like  manner.  Forty  or  fifty  monks  come 
up,  and  forty  or  fifty  go  down  ;  forty  or  fifty  go  down,  and  forty  or  fifty 
come  up  ;  and  thus,  up  and  down,  down  ani  up,  they  continue  in  a 
regular  see-saw  motion.  After  these  performances,  and  a  few  bows  to 
the  right  and  to  the  left,  they  come  out  in  two  lines,  one  from  each 
side,  and  go  directly  to  the  dining-hall,  where  they  take  their  rice  and 


While  their  services  were  going  on,  an  old  blind  monk  came  up, 
guiding  himself  with  his  cane  along  the  side  of  the  building,  with  his 
basket  of  dishes  on  his  arm,  going  after  his  supper.  I  avoided  him, 
but  was  amused  to  see  him  go  directly  towards  Mr.  West,  who  was 
busily  sketching  the  scenes  inside,  and  bluntly  strike  against  him. 


DEPARTURE   FROM    THE   MONASTERY.  277 

Mr.  W.  started,  and  looked  quickly  up,  somewhat  angrily,  to  see 
who  was  so  bold  and  impudent ;  and  the  old  man,  on  his  part,  stood 
aghast,  astonished  that  any  person  who  could  see  could  not  avoid 
him.  Muttering  a  few  words  to  himself,  the  old  man  put  his  cane 
in  motion  again,  and  passed  on. 

The  day  being  over,  I  was  glad  to  ensconce  myself  inside  of  my 
mosquito-curtain,  and  consign  myself  to  rest. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  THE   MONASTERY.  —  INCIDENTS   BY  THE  WAY.  —  CHINESE 
CITY   OF  MACHTZEIEN. 

THURSDAY,  July  19th.  —  "We  arose  at  five,  and,  having  collected  our 
train  and  mounted  our  chairs,  we  started  for  our  boats,  to  make  a  trip 
to  the  lakes.  We  paid  our  hosts  a  few  hundred  cash  for  the  privilege 
of  using  their  fire  to  cook  by,  and  a  dollar  for  the  use  of  the  room, 
for  which  they  seemed  well  satisfied.  We  made  a  halt  at  the  resting- 
house,  while  Mr.  W.  sketched  a  view  of  the  avenue  leading  to  the 
monastery,  after  which  we  went  on  again. 

The  valley  was  beautiful,  and  we  enjoyed  it  much,  it  being  made 
up  of  such  a  variety.  We  passed  monuments  in  the  shape  of  gate- 
ways hewn  of  stone,  erected  to  the  memory  of  some  benevolent  individ- 
ual ;  and  one  with  carved  figures  and  characters  raised  and  dedicated 
to  chaste  women  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  path,  and  tombs  on  both 
sides  extended  some  distance  up  the  mountain's  side.  Arriving  at  the 
outskirts  of  a  little  village,  our  coolies  set  us  down,  and  ran  off  and 
left  us.  On  inquiring  of  our  boys  the  meaning  of  this,  we  were  told 
that  they  had  gone  to  their  "chow-chow"  (their  eating).  We 
thought  them  rather  independent,  not  asking  our  permission  ;  but  wo 
sat  down  by  a  wall,  and  partook  also,  not  having  yet  been  to  break- 
fast. We  had  a  kettle  of  hot  water  brought,  had  some  tea  made, 
which,  with  our  cold  rice,  fowl  and  eggs,  made  a  very  passable 
breakfast. 

We  soon  had  a  large  collection  of  the  poor  peasants  about  us ;  for 
the  inmates  of  the  houses,  old  and  young,  with  their  children,  and 
their  infants  in  their  arms,  came  out,  and  gazed  at  us  whilo  we  ate. 
24 


278  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

As  they  crowded  about  quite  near,  if  our  attention  was  directed  to  any 
one,  the  small-footed  girls  would  quickly  hobble  backwards,  as  if  they 
feared  being  kidnapped.  One  old  woman  brought  out  a  couple  of  live 
chickens,  which  we  bought,  paying  eighteen  or  twenty  cents  for  both. 
Our  salt  being  left  behind,  a  few  cash  procured  a  little,  but  it  was 
coarse,  rusty,  and  full  of  dirt.  The  children  here  were  covered  with 
sores  from  their  excessive  filthiness. 

Our  coolies  having  returned,  we  gave  the  people  a  few  cash,  with 
which  they  seemed  satisfied,  and  we  left  them. 

The  only  tree  that  I  recognized  as  common  with  us  in  America  ia 
the  pitch-pine.  These  grow  in  clusters  on  the  mountain  side,  enclos- 
ing tombs.  Coffins,  all  the  way  along,  were  left  out  on  the  ground 
and  exposed,  being  merely  covered  with  palm-leaves.  These  coffins, 
with  their  thick,  slab-like  sides,  are  very  clumsy  and  large ;  and 
appear,  with  their  coverings,  like  shocks  of  wheat  in  the  fields,  fallen 
down.  We  passed  through  the  rich,  deep  valley,  walled  in  on  both 
sides  by  the  high  mountains,  and  stopped  at  the  resting-house  at  the 
foot  of  a  small  mountain  which  has  a  pagoda  standing  on  its  top. 
Here  was  the  tea-growing,  which  has  been  before  described. 

At  this  place  Mr.  "West,  at  my  suggestion,  took  a  sketch  of  our  little 
train,  just  as  we  were.  Numbers  of  coolies  were  constantly  stopping, 
passing  and  repassing.  I  presume  that  a  hundred  in  an  hour  stop  here  to 
rest.  They  were  heavily  laden  with  rice,  tea,  and  other  articles,  and 
had  to  rest  every  quarter  or  half  a  mile.  There  were  from  eight  to 
twelve  here  all  the  time  ;  and  they  manifested  a  good  deal  of  curiosity 
about  us,  but  offered  no  insult. 

The  path  the  entire  way  is  paved  with  flat  stones.  "We  ascended 
the  eminence^  and  proceeded  to  take  a  view  of  the  pagoda.  It  stands 
in  a  little  open  space,  surrounded  with  a  handsome  grove  of  black 
bamboo-trees.  It  is  in  part  covered  with  vines  and  shrubs,  growing  on 
all  its  sides  from  the  interstices.  It  is  built  of  brick,  stone,  and  almost 
anything  that  could  be  obtained  to  fill  up  ;  and,  crooked  by  time,  it 
looked  as  if  it  would  tumble  down  before  we  could  get  out  of  its  reach . 
I  did  not  like  to  stand  near  it  for  many  minutes  at  a  time,  and,  as  the 
wind  was  blowing,  did  not  attempt  its  ascent.  Another  resting-house 
stands  a  little  way  from  it,  just  within  the  gap  of  the  two  mountains, 
which  was  also  filled  with  weary  foot-passengers. 

"We  took  our  chairs  and  descended  on  the  other  side,  where  Mr.  W. 
took  another  sketch,  and  I  wrote  up  my  notes,  which  I  had  not  been 
able  to  do  while  travelling.  I  have  attempted  to  do  this  many  times, 


TRAVELLING    BY   CANAL.  279 

but  afterwards  not  being  able  to  tell  one  mark  from  another,  have 
given  it  up.  The  coolies  passing  us  would  stop,  cast  off  their  burdens, 
and  with  the  greatest  curiosity  go  to  Mr.  W.  or  myself,  and  back  and 
forth  from  one  to  the  other,  to  see  what  we  were  doing.  No  one  could 
pass  without  laying  down  his  load  and  taking  a  look  at  us,  so  that 
we  constantly  had  a  crowd  about  us.  Their  countenances  indicated 
that  the  little  marks  we  were  making  on  paper  seemed  to  them  like  a 
species  of  witchery  ;  and  they  examined  them  very  intently  for  some 
time.  Mr.  "W.  was  so  besieged  that  I  had  to  laugh  to  see  him,  in  a 
good-natured  manner,  push  them  away  ;  for,  in  their  eagerness  to 
see  him  draw,  they  inserted  their  heads  directly  between  him  and  the 
view  that  he  wished  to  sketch,  and  did  not  give  him  room  to  work. 

We  arrived  at  our  boat  at  four  p.  M.,  and  unwillingly  left  the 
beautiful  scenery  —  the  green  slopes  of  the  mountains,  with  tlieir 
gushing  fountains,  those  beautiful  bamboo  groves,  and, the  sparkling 
rivulets. 

Our  boys  paid  our  four  coolies,  for  both  chairs,  a  hundred  cash  — 
about  half  a  dollar  for  the  day's  work  ;  bought  some  Chinese  sandals 
to  wear  in  travelling  among  the  hills,  for  which  we  paid  about  two 
cents  a  pair  ;  and  we  continued  our  way  for  the  lakes,  which  we  saw 
from  Monastery  mountain.  We  took  the  same  route  by  which  we 
came,  as  far  as  the  hill  of  tombs  that  stood  alone  in  the  midst  of  tho 
great  plain,  where  we  branched  to  the  left. 

We  travelled  all  the  way  by  canal,  passing  under  many  bridges,  to 
accomplish  which,  in  some  instances,  we  had  to  take  down  the  tops 
of  the  boats.  It  was  delightful  sailing,  so  still  and  quiet,  on  such  a 
fine  evening,  while  the  moon  diffused  her  silvery  light  through  tho 
clear  atmosphere. 

I  sat  up  after  Mr.  W.  had  retired,  and  mused  alone,  except  that 
the  men  were  sculling  away  at  their  oars,  and  the  mosquitoes  were 
always  at  hand,  till  we  came,  towards  morning,  to  a  village  or  town 
where  many  boats  were  huddled  together,  ours  fastened  among  them, 
when  I  retired  to  rest. 

Friday,  July  2Qth.  —  I  arose  at  daylight,  took  a  look  to  see  where 
we  were,  and  then  urged  the  boatmen  to  expedite  matters  for  the  lakes. 
We  found  a  dam  here  about  twelve  feet  high,  which  kept  the  waters 
of  the  lakes  in  their  place  above  ;  and  the  boats,  in  their  turn,  had 
to  be  drawn  up  and  launched  on  the  other  side.  About  fifty  boats 
had  precedence  of  ours,  before  our  turn  came  ;  and,  while  waiting,  wo 
took  a  short  walk  about  the  place.  Its  name  is  one  of  the  worst  to  be 


280  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

pronounced  or  to  be  remembered.  I  wrote  it  down  as  soon  as  I 
heard  it,  or  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  recall  it  again.  It  is  Mach- 
tzeien.  For  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  our  left,  as  we  passed  up,  was  the 
Chinese  town.  The  houses  were  all  open  in  front,  looking  like  rough 
sheds  more  than  anything  else.  They  were  one  story  high,  and  made 
the  principal  street,  which  faced  on  the  canal,  and  included  many  lit- 
tle shops,  containing  a  great  variety  of  articles  for  sale.  There  AVUS  a 
grain  shop,  then  a  butcher's  shop,  then  a  provision  shop,  and  then  a 
tin  shop,  &c.  At  intervals  were  eating-rooms,  with  tables  full  of 
Chinese  at  their  meal ;  but  they  were  all  men.  The  women  I  have 
not  seen  eat  at  all,  though  no  doubt  they  indulge  occasionally.  Just 
behind  the  mass  of  buildings  rises  up,  in  the  background,  a  beautiful 
hill,  covered  with  green  foliage,  trees,  and  tombs.  Before  us  is  the 
dam,  at  this  end  of  which  is  the  place  to  enter  the  lake,  and  at  the 
other  the  place  to  come  out.  Boats  are  continually  being  drawn  up 
into  the  lake  at  this  end,  and  being  let  down  out  of  it  at  the  other. 
On  our  right  is  a  pretty  hill,  covered  with  young  pines. 

This  hour  of  the  day  was  a  very  busy  time.  CroAvds  of  people,  Avith 
their  baskets,  boxes  of  vegetables,  &c.,  were  pushing  along  the  streets. 
Three  or  four  girls  saw  us  landing,  and  ran  with  all  speed,  not  daring 
to  look  back  till  they  were  at  a  considerable  distance  from  us.  Fright- 
ened things!  they  might  have  known  that  with  their  little  feet,  had 
we  been  disposed  for  a  chase,  we  could  soon  have  overtaken  them. 
Several  others  ran  in  the  same  way,  and  I  do  not  know  but  they  may 
be  running  still,  as  they  were  doing  so  the  last  we  saw  of  them.  They 
ran  as  if  two  wild  animals  had  just  escaped  from  cages,  and  were  after 
them.  With  their  short,  hobbling  step,  I  expected  to  see  them  tumble, 
but  I  believe  they  kept  on  their  feet.  They  reminded  me  of  boys  try- 
ing to  run  on  stilts.  I  stopped  in  the  street  to  explain  something  to 
my  boy,  which  did  not  occupy  more  than  three  minutes  ;  but  when  I 
looked  up  we  were  completely  surrounded  by  the  crowd,  that  had 
gathered  about  us  from  curiosity.  We  walked  up  and  down  the  street 
to  observe  the  curiosity  of  the  people,  and  found  those  within  the 
houses  as  curious  to  see  us  as  those  without.  With  mouths  and 
eyes  wide  open,  especially  the  girls  of  from  eight  to  fourteen,  they 
stared  at  us,  and  looked  as  if  they  would  jump  out  of  their  wits  at 
our  appearance  ;  and  the  timid  ones,  to  see  us,  would  peep  from  behind 
the  doors  and  posts,  and,  when  we  were  past,  would  venture  out  a 
little.  One  little  girl,  of  about  twelve,  ran  as  she  saAv  us  approach- 
ing, not  daring  to  look  back  till  she  had  got  one  foot  over  the  door- 


CHINESE   GIRL   AT    HER   TOILET.  281 

sill ;  when  she  gave  one  glance  over  her  shoulder,  and,  pulling  the 
door  after  her,  disappeared.  No  doubt  she  thought  she  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  the  Fanquies. 

The  small-footed  wife  of  the  tinman  was  seated  in  front  of  his  shop, 
dressing  her  hair,  with  a  glass  set  up  before  her,  very  unconcernedly. 
I  was  amused  to  notice  how  particular  she  was,  and  the  pains  she  took 
in  its  arrangement.  She  hardly  appeared  to  notice  us,  and  had,  per- 
haps, seen  foreigners  before.  A  little  way  down  the  street,  on  the 
side  of  the  canal,  were  a  group  of  Chinamen  disputing  with  each 
other.  They  gesticulated  with  great  warmth,  and  each  one,  screaming 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  made  noise  enough  for  ten.  In  one  houso 
we  passed  there  was  a  pretty-looking  girl  sitting  alone  at  a  table,  taking 
her  "  chow-chow."  As  she  fixed  a  wild  stare  on  us,  her  chopsticks 
were  suspended  about  half-way  to  her  mouth,  which  was  left  wide 
open,  and  as  if  in  doubt  whether  to  scream  or  run.  At  one  place  a 
Chinaman  and  his  family  were  sitting  at  a  table  outside  their  house, 
taking  their  breakfast  together.  They  gobbled  down  their  rice  and 
vegetables  with  wonderful  celerity,  raising  their  bowls  near  to  their 
mouth,  and  poking  it  in  with  a  continuous  stream.  As  they  per- 
ceived us,  their  heads  and  bodies  all  turned  toward  us,  as  if  on  pivots ; 
and,  suspending  their  eating  operations,  they  gazed  at  us  till  we  wero 
out  of  sight. 

A  girl  of  about  eighteen  years,  who  did  not  perceive  us,  was  seated 
on  a  high  stool,  under  a  tree,  arranging  her  hair  before  a  dressing-case 
placed  upon  a  table.  She  inclined  her  head  one  side,  and  then  the 
other,  fixing  this  part  and  then  that,  placing  and  replacing  her  hair- 
pins. She  did  not  seem  in  a  hurry,  but  took  it  very  leisurely,  as  if  she 
had  the  whole  day  at  her  disposal.  She  tried  it  over  and  over  ;  put  up 
one  part  well  greased,  stuck  in  a  pin,  fixed  in  an  artificial  flower,  took 
a  look  in  the  glass ;  then  combed  and  fixed  up  another  part,  and 
looked  again,  and  then  pulled  it  all  down,  to  rearrange  it  more  to  her 
mind.  She  put  it  up  and  took  it  down  several  times.  There  was  quite 
an  array  of  toilet  articles  about  her  bench,  cups  and  combs,  hair-pins 
of  silver,  and  others  of  a  kind  of  green  stone,  paints,  white  gypsum- 
powder,  artificial  flowers,  a  basin,  and  a  kind  of  thick  grease  that 
looked  like  tar.  She  was  so  absorbed  in  her  toilet  that  she  did  not  per- 
ceive us ;  and  I  was  almost  afraid  to  look  at  her,  for  fear  she  would 
scream,  tip  over  her  establishment,  and  run  away. 

One  man  stood  before  his  house  mixing  something  like  dough.  We 
walked  towards  him,  and,  suddenly  raising  his  head,  he  stopped,  with 
24* 


282  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

the  material  in  his  hands,  staring  at  us  as  if  ho  was  confronting  two 
walking  spirits.  His  dog,  lying  near,  seeing  us,  sprang  up  with  its  ears 
back  and  its  tail  down,  gave  one  bound,  and,  with  a  despairing 
yelp,  vanished  at  the  other  end  of  the  room.  When  we  were  suffi- 
ciently near  to  bow  and  speak,  he  seemed  most  happy  to  hear  our 
voices,  and  relieved  of  conflicting  doubts,  as  spirits  never  speak.  He 
went  on  with  his  work,  mixing  and  working  molasses-candy,  and 
kneading  into  it  as  much  rice-flour  as  it  would  bear,  rather  pleased 
with  the  notice  we  paid  to  his  avocation.  He  cut  the  candy  into 
square  pieces,  about  half  as  large  as  boys  at  home  sell  for  a  cent.  I  put 
down  twelve  copper  cash,  amounting  to  a  cent,  to  see  how  much  it 
would  buy.  He  wrapped  up  in  a  paper  twelve  of  the  squares  and 
gave  me.  I  had  observed  his  hands,  and,  presuming  that  he  was  gov- 
erned by  the  principle  that  anything  escaping  from  them  only 
increased  the  quantity  to  be  sold,  I  felt  no  inclination  to  eat  it,  and 
handed  it  over  to  the  boys,  who  swallowed  it  very  quickly.  As  we 
moved  off,  the  Chinaman  chin-chinned  us  very  politely.  We  next 
approached  a  young  girl,  about  fourteen  years  old,  who  was  spinning 
in  front  of  a  house,  astride  the  seat  of  her  spinning-wheel,  with  her 
back  towards  us,  and  her  hair  decorated  with  orange-blossoms,  and 
hanging  in  a  braid  down  her  back.  Hearing  undue  Chinese  sounds, 
she  raised  her  head,  looking  forward ;  then  stopped  and  held  her 
head  still  to  listen  ;  and  then,  as  quick  as  thought,  her  head  whirled  on 
its  axis  towards  us  for  a  moment,  her  body  rocked  backward,  and  one 
of  her  small,  half-sized  feet  passed  over  the  wheel,  and  away  she  went, 
in  hobbling  leaps,  as  fast  as  her  stiffened  ankles  would  carry  her.  She 
did  not  attempt  to  gain  the  nearest  house,  but  made  for  one  several 
buildings  beyond.  As  she  entered  the  door,  she  ventured  to  look  over 
her  shoulder,  and,  forgetting  the  high  threshold,  she  tumbled  head- 
long into  the  house,  but  quickly  regained  her  feet,  which,  with  her 
arms,  were  flying  in  all  directions. 

Many  other  little  amusing  incidents  took  place,  but  hardly  of 
sufficient  importance  to  be  here  mentioned.  The  crowd  that  gathered 
about  us  becoming  too  dense  to  be  comfortable,  we  turned  and  walked 
slowly  back  to  our  boat,  entering  to  escape  the  gaze  of  the  populace. 
Through  the  crevices  of  the  boat  we  could  see  them  on  the  bank  watch- 
ing the  place  where  we  had  disappeared,  as  if  expecting  another  view 
of  us  ;  but  wo  thought  proper  to  disappoint  them,  as  they  become  too 
bold  after  a  short  acquaintance. 

The  boatmen  hero  'came  on  us  for  cash  and  rice,  ns  they  weie  out  of 


JODRNEY    CONTINUED. CROSSING    TUB    DAMS.  '283 

both.  From  the  way  ours  had  disappeared,  we  concluded  tney  must 
have  been  out  for  two  or  three  days  ;  and  that,  perhaps,  they  had  dis- 
posed of  some  of  it  in  other  ways  besides  eating  it,  for  a  large  stock 
had  been  laid  in.  Our  funds  were  nearly  spent ;  and  here  the  ftw 
dollars  which  I  had  gone  back  to  get  at  Ningpoo  became  very 
convenient,  and  more  provisions  were  added  to  our  stores. 

Between  eight  and  nine  it  came  our  boat's  turn  to  be  taken  into  the 
lake,  which  was  managed  in  this  way  :  The  head  of  the  boat  ia 
brought  up  to  a  place  where  there  is  an  inclined  plane  on  both  sides  of 
the  dam,  kept  constantly  covered  with  black,  slimy  mud.  A  large 
cable,  made  of  grass,  is  thrown  by  a  slip-noose  over  the  stern  of  the 
boat,  and  its  two  ends  connected  with  two  capstans,  one  on  each  side, 
at  the  top  of  the  dam.  It  seems  a  rude  contrivance,  but  there  are 
no  locks  that  I  ever  heard  of  in  China.  It  is  the  only  way  ;  and,  per- 
haps, it  is  more  expeditious  than  locks.  Small  vessels  can  be  taken 
over  in  this  way.  The  capstans  are  each  turned  by  thirty  or  forty 
men,  and  the  cables  wound  up,  until  the  boat  is  drawn  to  the  top.  The 
men  insert  handspikes  into  the  capstans,  radiating  like  the  spokes  of 
a  large  wheel  laid  horizontally,  and  commence  running  and  crying 
out  Yar-ar-ar-ar-a-a-a-a-r-r-r>-r  !  Yar-ar-ar-ar-ar-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-r  !  in 
most  outrageous  tones.  They  run  around  a  few  times,  and  then  grad- 
ually relapse  into  a  slow  walk,  after  which  they  break  out  again 
all  together  with  the  Yar-ar,  etc.,  and  run  again.  The  cable,  although 
five  or  six  inches  through,  broke  twice  with  us,  but  was  quickly  tied 
again,  it  taking  some  yards  to  make  the  knot.  It  was  so  full  of  knots 
that  there  was  hardly  room  for  another,  should  it  break  again.  The 
delay  occasioned  is  but  a  few  moments,  and  with  the  savage-like  Yar, 
etc.,  of  all  their  voices,  they  start  again.  They  did  not  discover  ua 
foreigners  until  we  were  nearly  drawn  up,  when  they  evinced  much 
curiosity,  peeping  through  the  interstices  of  the  boat  to  see  us.  The 
boat,  by  its  own  weight,  easily  glided  down  the  opposite  side,  and  was 
launched  into  the  lake.  "We  endeavored  to  cross  the  lake  to  the  oppo- 
site side,  but  the  boisterous  state  of  the  weather  made  it  unsafe,  and 
we  kept  in  near  the  shore,  passing  several  villages.  At  one  we  stopped, 
and  debated  whether  to  wait  for  better  weather  until  to-morrow,  or 
to  return  homeward  to-day.  Deciding  to  remain,  we  went  ashore, 
ascending  a  pretty,  mound-like  hill,  the  sides  of  which  were  covered 
with  tombs  and  patches  of  trees.  At  the  summit  we  had  a  fine  view, 
made  up  of  mountains,  a  chain  of  pretty  lakes,  and  many  villages  and 
cities  on  their  borders.  Leaving  my  companion  to  sketch  the  scene, 


284  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

1  descended  with  my  boy  and  went  in  search  of  some  vegetables,  so  as 
to  vary  our  monotonous  ineal  of  chickens,  rice  and  eggs,  on  which  we 
had  lived  so  constantly. 

We  saw  the  egg-plant  in  considerable  quantities,  but  we  did  not  like 
it.  "VVe  thought  some  cucumbers  sliced  in  vinegar  would  be  grateful 
to  us  ;  and,  after  a  time,  I  made  my  boy  understand  what  they  were, 
though,  in  describing  them,  I  had  to  go  through  all  the  motions  of 
paring,  slicing,  etc.  He  inquired  for  them  often,  and  said  at  last  there 
were  none  to  be  obtained.  I  had  seen  one  man  pointing  over  the  hills, 
and  understanding  by  him  that  they  were  to  be  found  in  that  direction, 
I  told  the  boy  to  go,  and  I  accompanied  him.  We  passed  along  the 
edge  of  the  lake  a  considerable  distance,  and  then  crossed  over  a  couple 
of  hills,  scattering  the  frightened  children  in  all  directions,  and  came 
to  a  farmer's  house  which  stood  alone.  My  boy  made  inquiries,  and 
the  man  went  into  the  garden  and  brought  two  or  three  little  shrivelled- 
up  cucumbers.  While  paying  for  these,  an  aged  man  with  white  hair, 
though  scarcely  enough  to  form  a  queue  of  a  few  inches  on  his  neck, 
who  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  patriarch  here,  and  had  the  pleasant- 
est  Chinese  countenance  I  had  met,  came  out  and  led  us  to  the  further 
part  of  the  garden,  where  we  found  as  many  fine  ones  as  wo  wished. 
The  old  man  gathered  and  put  handfuls  of  them  into  the  apron  of 
my  boy's  frock,  and  refused  payment ;  but  I  insisted  that  he  should  be 
paid,  and  my  boy  gave  him  thirty  or  forty  cash,  which  he  received  and 
put  in  his  pocket  without  counting. 

The  women  and  all  the  inmates  crowded  to  the  door  of  the  house, 
and  looked  at  me  with  a  mixture  of  fear  and  astonishment,  hiding 
themselves  behind  each  other  whenever  I  turned  my  eyes  towards  them. 
I  chin-chinned  the  old  man,  and  he  chin-chinned  heartily  in  return. 
He  seemed  to  be  a  very  good  man  ;  though  I  think,  from  his  actions,  he 
was  glad  to  see  me  leaving,  for  the  whole  neighborhood  was  gathering 
on  his  premises,  with  some  symptoms  of  excitement. 

Returning  to  the  boat,  and  pushing  out  a  few  rods  from  the  shore, 
having  now  a  plenty  of  cucumbers  and  vinegar,  with  our  rice,  chick- 
en and  eggs,  we  made  our  dinner.  The  people  on  shore  loitered  near, 
looking  with  curiosity  to  see  us  eat.  After  our  meal  I  again  went  on 
shore,  leaving  Mr.  West  in  the  boat  to  complete  his  drawings,  and 
gradually  advanced  through  the  town  as  curiosity  might  dictate,  and 
as  I  might  find  it  safe. 

Knowing  the  great  interest  of  the  people  to  look  at  our  books,  I  put 
in  my  pocket  one  with  some  plates  in  it,  thinking  it  might  be  of  ser- 


CURIOSITY    OF    CHINESE   MULTITUDE.  285 

vibe  to  me.  The  Chinese  flocked  around,  following  me  in  great 
numbers.  Occasionally,  as  they  began  to  be  too  boisterous,  which  I 
knew,  if  continued,  would  end  in  a  mob,  I  stopped  and  showed  them 
some  of  the  pictures  in  the  book,  with  which  they  seemed  much 
pleased,  though  I  thought  as  many  appeared  to  look  at  me  as  at  the 
book.  The  bolder  ones  annoyed  me  exceedingly  by  asking  innumer- 
able questions,  all  of  which  I  could  not  have  answered  had  I  known 
the  Chinese  language,  the  dialects  are  so  different ;  and  the  only  way 
in  which  I  could  get  along  with  them  was  to  silence  them  as  I  did  tho 
monks,  by  talking  to  them  English  as  fast  as  I  could,  to  which  they 
assented,  apparently  well  satisfied,  though  they  could  not  understand  a 
word.  As  the  crowd  pressed  me  closely,  I  moved  on  ;  and  in  this  way 
I  wandered  about  in  sight  of  the  lake,  though  I  found  nothing  remark- 
able. All  the  houses  were  old  and  built  like  sheds,  the  streets  narrow 
and  dirty,  etc.;  but  the  population  was  more  numerous  than  I  had 
anticipated,  so  that  it  might  be  called  a  city  instead  of  a  village. 

I  could  not  help  feeling  somewhat  amused,  when  displaying  the 
plates  in  the  book,  to  see  such  a  multitude  of  people  around.  They 
completely  encompassed  me  upon  every  side, —  old  men,  old  women, 
middle-aged  people,  young  girls  and  boys, —  all  gaping,  with  wonder- 
stricken  countenances.  They  displayed  as  much  marvellousness  as  we 
might  have  done  at  the  appearance  of  an  inhabitant  from  another 
planet.  At  first  they  approached  very  cautiously,  but,  perceiving  that 
I  did  not  hurt  or  frighten  them,  they  advanced  with  more  freedom  and 
confidence  ;  and  after  they  had  scrutinized  the  pictures  they  scruti- 
nized me,  and  then  they  scrutinized  the  pictures  again,  and  so  on. 
Gradually  they  neared  their  gaze,  till  their  faces  were  within  a  foot  or 
six  inches  of  mine  ;  when,  gratifying  themselves  with  a  profound  look, 
their  mouths  stretching  into  an  inexpressive  grin,  they  would  break 
out  with  a  half-grunting,  half-laughing  exclamation  of  "  hurngh," 
drawling  it  out  as  if  they  felt  it  from  the  bottom  of  their  feet.  Then,  as 
if  amazed  with  what  they  had  experienced,  and  absorbed  in  their  own 
thoughts,  they  would  get  pushed  back  a  step,  and  others  would  crowd 
in  and  take  a  look.  After  a  while,  one  man  stretched  out  his  hand, 
slowly,  but  timidly,  towards  me,  keeping  his  eyes  steadfastly  fixed  on 
my  face,  and  at  length  touched  my  knee.  Emboldened  by  this,  he 
touched  my  arm,  and  then  my  shoulder.  He  seemed  to  wonder  if  the 
flesh  of  my  body  was  like  theirs,  and  felt  of  my  hand  and  my  face, 
smoothing  the  skin  a  little,  and  pinching  it  up.  Others,  observing  his 
success,  thought  they  would  like  also  to  touch  the  strange  being,  the 


286  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

"  foreign  spirit,"  —  and  joined  in.  One  man  drew  his  hand  upon 
my  face  and  forehead,  though  doubtfully,  as  if  he  was  not  quite  sure 
it  was  safe  to  do  so,  examining  his  fingers  afterwards  to  see  if  the 
white  color  came  off.  One  man  felt  of  my  hair,  another  of  my  nose 
and  whiskers ;  one  took  off  my  cap,  and  examined  that  ;  another 
was  looking  at  the  nails  of  my  fingers ;  one  at  my  coat,  examining  the 
material ;  one  was  down  on  the  ground,  feeling  of  my  shoes  ;  and  one 
was  trying  to  look  on  their  under  side,  examining  carefully  the  smooth 
leather,  the  bottoms  and  the  seams,  and  appeared  to  think  it  all  very 
singular  in  comparison  with  their  cloth  shoes.  One  examined  my 
dickey,  one  felt  of  the  smoothness  and  hardness  of  the  bosom,  and 
another  turned  his  attention  to  my  vest ;  one  was  smoothing  up  and 
down  my  pants,  examining  minutely  the  texture  of  the  cloth,  till  it 
seemed  as  if  as  many  had  their  hands  on  me  as  there  was  room  for 
them  ;  and  all  this  time  others  were  squeezing  and  crowding  through 
to  get  at  me.  These  things  became  very  annoying ;  but  I  could  not 
prevent  it  without  showing  some  resentment,  or  pushing  them  off, 
which  I  did  not  like  to  do.  Whenever  I  found  them  becoming  too 
well  acquainted,  or  too  bold,  or  coarse  in  their  actions,  I  moved  on, 
changed  my  course,  or  turned  a  corner.  Sometimes  they  crowded  so 
hard  as  to  push  each  other  over,  tumbling  over  a  stone  down  a  bank, 
or  into  the  gutter  ;  but,  to  avoid  any  tumult,  I  passed  along  as  quietly 
and  quickly  as  possible. 

Once  I  found  myself  rather  too  closely  besieged.  The  concourse 
had  so  swelled  as  to  be  quite  a  sea  of  Chinese  heads  and  shoulders, 
mostly  of  men,  naked  to  the  waist,  whose  yellow  skins,  of  the  color 
of  books  "  bound  in  calf,"  shaved  heads,  and  long,  braided  queues, 
presented  a  very  unique  appearance,  I  was  so  completely  hemmed  in 
that  I  found  it  difficult  to  get  out.  The  crowd  had  become  noisy  and 
boisterous,  and  were  swaying  back  and  forth,  like  a  wheat-field  in  the 
wind.  I  did  not  feel  at  ease  in  the  midst  of  such  a  crowd,  and  studied 
for  some  way  of  escape  that  should  not  excite  their  suspicions  of  my 
desire  to  avoid  them.  I  had  tried  to  crowd  through  them,  but  found 
that  I  could  not  do  so  without  using  more  violence  than  I  was  willing 
to,  and  I  became  convinced  that  I  must  resort  to  some  artifice.  I 
therefore  raised  my  book,  and  so  held  it  open  that  the  pictures  might 
be  seen  only  by  those  in  front.  As  the  back  of  the  book  was  towards 
those  behind  me,  in  order  to  get  a  sight  of  the  pictures  they  had  to 
crowd  around  to  the  other  side,  which  gradually  left  the  way  open  for 
me,  as  they  vacated  the  ground  behind  me,  to  step  back.  This  I  con- 


CAUSEWAY.  —  QUARRIES.  287 

tinued  till  the  opening  in  the  rear  was  sufficient,  when  I  glided  out, 
thankful  to  make  my  escape.  As  I  accomplished  my  object,  they 
evidently  perceived  the  design  of  my  artifice  ;  for  they  burst  into  a 
loud  hurra,  and  pressed  on  behind.  I  was  careful  not  to  let  them 
encircle  me  again  ;  and,  with  the  many  turns  and  crooks  in  the  streets, 
there  was  always  a  place  for  retreat.  I  returned  to  the  boat  at  dark  ; 
and,  in  order  to  avoid  the  Chinese  during  the  night,  we  pushed  off, 
and  anchored  a  little  way  from  the  shore,  and  at  an  early  hour  retired 
to  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

CROSSING    THE    LAKE.  —  CAUSEWAY. QUARRIES. CHINESE    WORKMEN. 

RETURN  TO  NINGPOO. SMALL  FEET. NINGPOO   PAGODA. HOUSE 

OF  CHINESE   DOCTOR. TRIP   INTO  THE  CITY. EXCURSION  TO  CHUSAN. 

ENGLISH    CEMETERY. RETURN    TO     NINGPOO. — TEA-DRINKING. — 

INFANTICIDE. 

SATURDAY,  July  21st.  —  We  were  up  at  light ;  and,  finding  that 
the  violence  of  the  wind  had  ceased,  we  set  off  across  the  lake. 
Coming  near  an  island,  I  directed  the  boatmen  to  pull  to  it ;  and, 
leaving  my  companion  asleep  in  the  boat,  I  went  ashore,  and  had  a 
ramble  alone.  There  was  one  Josh-house  and  a  small  pagoda  on  the 
island,  and  the  ground  was  cultivated,  the  crop  being  mostly  a  kind 
of  squash ;  but  no  one  was  living  there.  The  pagoda  was  about 
thirty  feet  high.  Climbing  up  part  way  on  the  outside  (for  there 
were  no  stairs  to  it),  I  took  a  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  and 
returned  to  the  boat. 

We  continued  on,  taking  breakfast  by  the  way,  and  passing  under 
the  bridge  of  a  very  fine  causeway.  This  causeway  is  built  of  stone, 
and  stretches  quite  across  the  lake.  Near  the  shore  we  passed  a 
Chinaman  in  a  boat,  who  was  calling  after  him  some  hundreds  of 
young  ducks  and  goslings,  swimming,  which  he  was  raising.  We 
next  came  to  the  stone  quarries,  and  to  the  singular-looking  monu- 
ment, or  pedestal  stone,  which  we  saw  from  the  mountains  at  Teen- 
Tung.  Landing,  and  climbing  the  hill,  down  which  men  were  roll- 
ing wheelbarrow-loads  of  stone,  we  saw  the  quarries.  Numbers  of 
men  were  engaged  in  hammering  and  splitting  out  the  stone.  It  was 


288  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

from  these  quarries  that  stone  had  been  taken  to  build  the  causeway, 
and  over  which  the  stones  are  now  transported  to  other  places.  It 
seems  odd  not  to  see  horses  or  oxen  used  to  draw  the  stone,  which  is 
all  done  by  Chinese  coolies.  The  monument  we  saw  was  simply  a 
pedestal  of  rock,  about  two  hundred  feet  high,  with  rough  sides  full 
of  angles,  and  larger  at  the  top  than  at  the  base.  It  was  formed  by 
quarrying  around  it,  and  leaving  the  centre  stone  standing.  Hun- 
dreds of  birds  were  flying  around  the  top,  where  they  had  made 
their  nests.  It  may  be  intended  for  a  future  pagoda  ;  but  it  is  an 
interesting  object,  as  it  shows  the  height  of  the  original  hill. 

While  Mr.  W.  was  taking  a  sketch  of  this  queer  place,  I  went  off 
to  ascend  some  of  the  elevations  on  different  sides.  It  soon  began  to 
rain ;  and,  as  I  was  seeking  a  place  of  shelter,  I  saw  one  of  the  work- 
men beckoning  to  me.  Curiosity  led  me  to  follow  him,  and  he  took 
mo  into  his  house  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  gave  me  a  stool  to  sit  on. 
The  house  had  no  windows,  and  appeared  more  like  a  small  black- 
smith's shop,  having  a  rude  kind  of  bellows,  some  hammers,  &c.  ; 
it  was  probably  used  for  repairing  the  tools.  Here  he  lived,  and  had 
his  workshop.  The  ground  was  the  floor  ;  a  heap  of  old  blankets  on 
a  place  raised  a  little  from  the  ground  represented  the  bed  ;  and  tho 
walls  of  the  house  were  hung  with  bits  of  trash, — odds  and  ends. 

There  was  no  other  one  present  but  his  wife,  who  did  not  allow 
her  suspicious  eyes  to  stray  from  me  long  at  a  time.  He  offered  me 
his  pipe,  and  gave  me  warm  tea  from  a  large  earthen  pan,  which  he 
kept  well  filled,  and  dipped  out  from  it  as  he  wished.  It  was  more 
like  an  infusion  of  senna  than  tea,  but  I  thought  I  must  drink  it.  I 
remained  here  near  an  hour,  talking  by  signs  with  the  man,  and 
finally  with  the  woman,  who  at  last  did  not  seem  to  consider  me  an 
evil  spirit.  "When  the  rain  had  ceased,  I  left  them,  they  both  respond- 
ing to  me  their  chin-chins,  as  I  thanked  them  for  their  hospitality. 

We  crossed  the  lake  to  the  other  end  of  the  causeway,  and,  seeing 
nothing  more  of  particular  interest,  took  another  route  back  to 
Kingpoo.  We  passed  through  one  town  on.  foot,  the  boat  sailing 
along  tho  shore,  and  tho  Chinese  forming  together  in  lines  on  the 
sides  of  tho  street  to  look  at  us.  A  crowd  of  Chinese  boys  followed 
us  in  and  out,  as  we  called  at  various  places  where  inclination 
prompted  us.  One  of  the  places  where  we  stopped  was  a  Josh-house, 
where  were  various  idols ;  and  another  was  at  a  house  where  some 
women  were  weaving  cloth  in  looms  that  looked  as  if  they  were  con- 
structed before  the  Christian  era.  Reaching  the  end  of  the  lake,  we 


NINGPOO. VISIT    TO    A    PAGODA.  289 

had  our  boat  drawn  up  and  launched  again  into  the  canal  below  ; 
when,  hoisting  sail,  we  sped  along  at  a  rapid  rate.  Occasionally  we 
landed  and  walked  through  a  village,  and  at  one  place  I  had  my 
handkerchief  stolen.  Having  completed  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty 
miles  to-day,  we  arrived  at  Ningpoo  about  dark. 

Ningpoo,  Sunday,  July  22d. —  I  attended  church  services  in  Mr. 
Way's  chapel,  though  I  felt  quite  unwell  all  day.  There  were  six- 
teen foreigners  present,  and  four  Chinese.  Rev.  Mr.  White  preached. 
After  this,  I  went  to  hear  Dr.  McCarty  discourse  to  the  Chinese  in 
their  language.  Here  the  private  schools  of  the  missionaries  unite 
on  Sundays,  and  have  religious  services  together.  There  were  about 
eighty  scholars,  girls  and  boys,  present,  of  from  six  to  eighteen 
years  of  age.  They  were  a  singular-looking  set  of  beings, —  the 
girls  having  their  hair  dressed  variously,  to  correspond  to  their 
particular  ages,  after  the  Chinese  custom.  Several  of  them  were 
pretty  ;  but  when  they  hobbled  along  on  their  little  feet  to  pass  out, 
I  could  not  help  thinking  they  were  very  foolish  to  allow  their  feet 
to  be  made  tJie  cause  of  rendering  them  so  uncomfortable.  One  would 
suppose  that  the  pain  they  undergo  while  subjected  to  the  bandages, 
and  the  discomfort  they  endure  ever  afterwards,  would  deter  them 
from  this  unnatural  practice.  But  the  Chinese  gentlemen  are  very  par- 
tial to  this  mincing,  hitching,  uncertain  gait  in  their  females,  which, 
I  suppose,  is  the  principal  incentive  towards  perpetuating  the  custom. 

Rev.  Mr.  Way  afterwards  preached  to  a  Chinese  congregation  ;  and 
at  evening  Dr.  McC.  came  in,  and,  with  Mr.  W.,  we  had  a  long  talk 
on  Chinese  matters. 

Monday,  July  2M.  — I  arose  at  six,  and  felt  miserably  all  day,  but 
forced  myself  to  move  about.  Mr.  W.  offering  to  accompany  me 
this  forenoon  on  a  visit  into  the  city,  we  took  a  couple  of  chairs, 
crossed  the  river,  and  entered  the  city.  We  first  called  at  a  Chinese 
«hop  where-the  most  of  the  foreigners  trade,  and  procured  material 
for  a  mosquito-net,  being  determined  not  to  suffer  unnecessarily  from 
these  insects. 

We  then  visited  the  Ningpoo  pagoda,  ascending  to  the  top  by  stairs 
inside.  This  has  seven  stories,  has  twenty-eight  windows,  is  hex- 
agonal in  form,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high,  with  a  spiral 
course  on  the  top.  The  view  is  commanding  and  extensive,  consist- 
ing of  the  entire  city  with  its  suburbs,  the  Ningpoo  river,  Ningpoo 
hills  and  valleys,  a  distant  chain  of  mountains,  and  the  sea  with  its 
islands.  This  pagoda  has  been  once  burnt,  once  struck  by  lightning, 
25 


290  CHINA    AIS'D    MAXILLA. 

and  once  blown  down  in  a  hurricane.  As  to  the  design  of  pagodas, 
the  Chinese  say  "  that  the  presence  of  such  an  edifice  nut  only 
secures  to  the  site  the  favor  and  protection  of  Heaven,  if  it  already 
bears  evidences  of  enjoying  it,  but  represses  any  evil  influences  that 
may  be  native  to  the  spot,  and  imparts  to  it  the  most  salutary  and 
felicitous  omens." 

The  great  "  Porcelain  Pagoda,"  at  Nankin,  has  nine  stories,  and 
is  two  hundred  and  sixty-one  feet  high,  and  near  a  hundred  feet  in 
diameter  at  the  base.  It  has  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  bells  ;  one 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  lamps  outside,  and  twelve  porcelain  lamps 
inside,  requiring  to  fill  them  ten  gallons  of  oil.  It  is  encased  upon 
the  outside  with  green  porcelain  in  slates,  and  has  on  its  front  an 
inscription  in  Chinese  of  First  Pagoda,  and  cost  in  building  between 
three  and  four  millions  of  dollars.  Its  object,  according  to  the  com- 
mands of  an  emperor,  was  to  commemorate  "  the  virtues  of  his 
august  empress  mother." 

In  the  top  of  the  pagoda,  for  warding  off  evil  influences,  were 
deposited  several  pearls,  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  and  a  half 
pounds  of  tea,  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  and  a  half  pounds  of 
silver,  one  ingot  of  gold,  fifty-three  and  a  half  pounds  of  medicine, 
one  hundred  and  thirty-three  and  a  half  pounds  of  sacred  books,  &c. 
A  Chinese  account  says,  "  The  god  Thunder,  while  expelling  a 
strange  monster,  chased  him  to  this  place,  when  instantly  three  parts 
of  the  nine  stories  were  demolished  ;  but  the  influence  of  the  Budd- 
histic doctrines  was  so  boundless,  that  the  whole  building  was  not 
destroyed." 

As  we  walked  through  the  city,  we  called  at  a  "sing-song."  This 
is  the  Chinese  theatre.  It  was  held  in  a  square  court,  the  stage 
being  erected  on  the  opposite  side,  so  as  to  front  a  large  temple  full 
of  gods,  and,  I  presume,  so  as  to  be  within  the  scope  of  their  benign 
influence.  There  were  no  ladies  present,  and  no  objection  was  offered 
to  our  entering  the  gate  and  passing  inside  the  court,  where  we 
walked  around  freely  ;  but  ten  minutes  satisfied  me  here.  One  view 
of  the  assemblage,  one  of  the  harlequin  actors,  in  silk  costume  of 
bright  colors,  a  little  of  their  squalling  voices,  and  one  blast  from 
their  orchestra,  was  all  that  I  felt  it  necessary  to  see  or  hear  of  their 
performances.  The  musicians  blow  their  instruments  as  if  they 
would  splinter  them,  producing  most  nervous,  spasmodic,  unmusical 
pounds,  not  unlike  what  would  be  made  by  a  number  of  cats  in  a  fit. 

We  next  visited  an  old  Chinese  gentleman,  a  retired  physician. 


NIXGPOO. TEMPLE    OF    CONFUCICS.  291 

He  met  us  with  much  politeness  and  evident  good  feeling.  With 
many  bows  and  motions  of  the  hands,  he  pointed  to  chairs,  and 
insisted  on  our  being  seated  before  he  would  sit  himself.  The  chairs 
of  solid  black  wood,  and  uncomfortable,  compared  with  ours,  were 
placed  against  the  walls  of  the  room,  with  a  tea-poy  of  the  same 
material  separating  them  by  pairs,  so  that,  in  taking  tea,  one  of  the 
little  tables  answers  for  two  persons.  Everything  about  the  house, 
of  course,  was  purely  Chinese.  The  old  gentleman  sat  and  chatted 
very  sociably  and  pleasantly,  without  any  Chinese  bombast,  and 
apparently  without  any  feeling  of  superiority  over  the  foreigners, 
which  is  so  general  with  the  Chinese.  He  had  many  inquiries  to 
make  about  me,  such  as  my  age,  birthplace,  family,  wife,  &c. ;  and 
lie  seemed  much  interested  to  learn  that  my  father  was  a  doctor,  and 
so  aged.  When  he  inquired  about  my  brothers,  and  learned  that 
there  were  so  many  doctors  in  the  family,  he  laughed,  and  seemed 
much  amused ;  and,  as  if  to  bring  the  number  more  home  to  himself, 
he  touched  the  fingers  of  one  hand  several  times  over,  and  stopped 
with  an  accent  on  the  little  finger  of  the  other.  As  it  is  considered 
disreputable  to  the  females  to  be  seen  by  strangers,  they  all  keep  out 
of  the  way,  though  we  saw  a  pair  of  eyes  looking  out  through  an 
opening  in  a  paper  window  which  were  much  too  soft  and  pretty  for 
a  man's. 

After  tea  the  Chinese  doctor  led  us  through  the  apartments  to  his 
garden  in  the  rear  of  the  building.  This  was  a  curious  place,  full 
of  flowers  and  plants,  serpentine  paths,  subterranean  passages,  grot- 
toes, pools,  imitations  of  sea-rocks,  covered  with  sea-shells,  weeds, 
moss,  &c.,  made  to  imitate  places  on  the  sea-shore,  and  only  wanting 
the  sea  to  complete  them.  The  works  were  all  artificial,  and  in  one 
of  the  grottoes  was  kept  a  large  bird  of  the  crane  species,  which 
stood  higher  than  a  man,  and  was  more  than  a  hundred  years  old. 
The  agreeable  old  man  followed  us  back  to  the  street-door,  and  wo 
took  leave  of  him.  He  put  one  hand  closed  into  the  other,  and  shook 
his  own  hands  at  us,  according  to  their  custom  ;  and  we  shook  ours  at 
him,  and  departed. 

We  next  came  to  the  Temple  of  Confucius.  We  found  no  idols 
here,  the  followers  of  this  sage  not  admitting  them  in  their  tenets. 
They  use  instead  tablets  inscribed  with  the  names  of  their  ancestral 
objects  of  worship.  The  building  was  large  and  open,  and  the  ceil- 
ing highly  ornamented  with  carvings  and  gildings.  One  of  the  large 
gates  is  kept  closed,  and  only  to  be  opened  when  the  emperor  from 


292  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

Pekin  makes  a  visit,  which,  I  believe,  he  has  not  yet  done.  During 
our  walk  we  saw  many  of  the  "  small  feet,"  but  no  ladies  of  the 
higher  classes.  We  returned  at  one  P.  M.  ;  and,  though  we  rode  in 
the  chairs  the  most  of  the  way,  I  suffered  much  from  weakness  and 
prostration,  and  was  obliged  to  lie  down  most  of  the  afternoon. 
Towards  night  I  went  on  board  the  Portuguese  vessel  to  pay  my  pas- 
sage from  Shanghae.  I  did  not  see  the  admiral,  but  settled  with  the 
captain  for  thirty-seven  dollars.  In  the  evening,  with  Kev.  Mr.  W., 
I  had  a  pleasant  call  at  Mr.  S.,  the  British  consul's.  Mr.  S.  was 
unwell,  but  Mrs.  S.  and  daughter  appeared,  and  gave  us  an  agree- 
able entertainment.  I  took  tea  at  Dr.  McC.'s,  meeting  some 
acquaintances  there. 

Tuesday,  July  2-ith.  —  I  arose  very  early,  to  see  what  the  morning 
air  would  do  towards  renovating  my  strength  ;  but  I  believe  it  made 
very  little  difference,  feeling  an  extreme  lassitude  all  day.  In  the 
evening,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Q.,  I  called  on  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  They 
were  formerly  of  the  Siam  mission.  Mrs.  G.  was  originally  from 
Holden,  Mass. 

Wednesday,  July  25th.  —  Mr.  Q.  walked  with  me  into  the  city, 
where  we  called  in  at  an  embroidery-shop,  and  saw  some  beautiful 
specimens  of  that  kind  of  work,  —  aprons,  dresses,  bags,  slippers, 
vests,  shawls,  &c.  We  also  went  into  some  large  furniture-shops  ; 
visited  temples,  a  Mahometan  mosque  ;  passed  the  Chinese  brigadier- 
general's  place,  and  called  at  a  Chinese  druggist's,  where  we  were 
regaled  with  fine  tea.  This  man  was  an  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Q. 
The  Chinese  proprietors  here  were  very  attentive,  and  showed  us 
some  things  which  I  was  too  miserable  to  observe  or  remember.  I 
had  determined  to-day  to  walk  and  exercise  to  the  extent  of  my 
strength,  hoping  to  throw  off  my  ill  feelings,  although  the  weather 
was  very  hot.  My  thirst  seemed  almost  unquenchable,  and  I  drank 
water  or  tea  at  every  opportunity,  the  Chinese  setting  before  us  cups 
of  tea  at  all  their  shops.  I  took  tea  with  Mr.  Q.  at  Dr.  McGowan's. 
The  doctor  has  had  much  success  in  curing  the  Chinese  opium-smokers 
of  their  habit  of  smoking  this  drug,  and  presented  me  with  several 
pipes  which  his  patients  had  given  up. 

Thursday,  July  26th.  — I  arose  at  seven,  and  took  a  bath,  but  with 
no  diminution  of  my  bad  feelings.  Have  had  very  little  appetite  for 
the  last  week.  I  made  calls  with  Mr.  Q.,  and  spent  most  of  the  day 
at  Mr.  S.,  the  British  consul's.  They  are  extremely  polite  and  pleas- 
ant people.  There  is  hardly  any  luxury  of  the  country  that  their 


CIIUSAN. PIRATES.  293 

house  docs  not  afford.  The  English  consuls  of  China  are  allowed 
eight  thousand  dollars  a  year,  —  a  handsome  salary,  compared  with 
American. 

At  sundown  we  were  getting  on  board  the  boat  for  Chusan.  Rev. 
Mr.  Quarterinan,  Mr.  West,  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  and  myself,  consti- 
tute a  sufficient  company  to  be  some  protection  against  the  pirates. 
At  nine  in  the  evening  we  were  under  sail,  and  directly  after  we  had 
tea.  The  boys  set  the  little  table  we  brought  with  us,  and,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  J.  asking  a  blessing,  we  partook  of  an  humble  repast  of  bread, 
cake,  &c.,  from  our  stores.  Feeling  quite  unwell,  I  afterwards  sat 
outside  for  several  hours,  and  enjoyed  the  refreshing  breeze.  This 
crazy  Chinese  boat,  though  very  old,  sails  well.  On  going  inside,  I 
found  that  my  companions  had  spread  their  simple  beds  on  the  floor, 
had  arranged  their  mosquito-nets,  and  were  fast  asleep  ;  and  I  very 
quickly  followed  their  example. 

Chusan  Islands,  Friday,  July  27th.  —  I  arose  this  morning  at 
sunrise,  and  found  that  we  were  down  the  river,  opposite  Chinhae, 
and  where  we  had  stopped,  and  were  just  under  way  again.  There 
are  on  board  a  number  of  Chinamen  passengers  ;  but  they  have  their 
places  fore  and  aft,  the  boat  being  hired  for  our  party,  with  the 
privilege  of  taking  a  few  Chinese  passengers.  We  had  the  centre, 
under  cover,  entirely  to  ourselves.  I  am  told  that  the  Chinese  take 
advantage  of  opportunities  to  go  in  boats  with  foreigners,  as  they 
consider  themselves  safer  from  the  attacks  of  pirates  when  with  them 
than  when  only  with  their  own  people.  The  boatmen  are  very  glad 
to  get  foreigners  for  passengers,  as  they  get  double  pay  for  them, 
secure  more  Chinese  passengers,  consider  themselves  and  boat  much 
safer,  and  have  a  better  chance  for  smuggling  goods  ;  there  being  a 
duty  on  many  things  that  are  carried  to  the  islands,  and  the  authori- 
ties not  liking  to  interfere,  by  examining,  when  there  are  foreigners 
on  board.  . 

We  arrived  at  Chusan  about  noon.  This  is  the  island  the  English 
held  during  the  war  with  the  Chinese.  We  passed  hundreds  of 
Chinese  junks  and  boats,  and  were  unmolested  by  pirates,  a  whole 
fleet  of  whom  lately  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Chusan  Islands, 
much  to  the  terror  of  the  inhabitants  and  others  visiting  the  vicinity. 
The  Chinese  naval  commandant  here  has  sent  to  one  of  the  neighbor- 
ing provinces  for  a  reinforcement  of  men  and  war-junks  to  operate 
against  them ;  but  this  is  of  little  use,  as  the  war-junks  are  often 
captured  by  the  piratical  junks,  and  do  not  like  to  venture  very  near. 
25* 


294  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

Wo  passed  a  little  rocky  island,  on  which  were  congregated  quite 
an  array  of  pelicans,  looking  in  the  distance  like  an  army  of  soldiers. 
Soon  we  came  into  a  snug  little  harbor,  in  which  were  many  vessels  of 
all  sizes  belonging  to  the  Chinese,  and  also  two  Portuguese  lorchas, 
the  only  foreign  vessels  here.  Landing,  wre  walked  to  a  house  where 
two  missionary  families  are  stopping,  and  were  made  acquainted  with 
Miss  Elmer,  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loomis,  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lord,  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Russell.  Miss  E.  is  a  Swede,  and  the  others  are  all  Amer- 
icans. We  had  our  baggage  brought  in,  and  our  party  of  four 
took  possession  of  an  empty  room  in  the  back  part  of  the  house. 
Our  beds  were  located  on  the  floor.  No  foreign  family  is  suffered  to 
reside  on  any  of  the  islands  in  the  Chusan  group,  but  now  and  then 
some  of  the  missionary  families  make  visits  there,  for  short  periods  at 
a  time,  for  their  health,  to  which  no  objection  has  yet  been  made  by 
the  Chinese. 

I  was  obliged  to  take  to  my  bed  as  soon  as  we  arrived,  with  cold 
shiverings,  pain  in  my  head,  back,  and  limbs.  I  covered  myself  with 
clothes,  and  in  a  short  time  was  in  a  violent  heat  and  perspiration. 
With  much  pressure  of  blood  to  the  head,  and  throbbing  of  the  tem- 
poral arteries,  I  found  my  pulse  up  to  near  a  hundred.  After  a  dose 
of  medicine,  and  a  hot  foot-bath,  I  bound  a  wet  napkin  about  my 
head,  and,  although  unable  to  lie  five  minutes  in  one  position,  com- 
posed myself  as  well  as  I  could.  My  companions,  and  the  other 
families,  were  very  kind,  offering  freely  their  services,  and  tendering 
many  little  niceties  for  my  comfort. 

Saturday,  July  28th.  —  I  was  quite  sick  all  night,  vomiting  and 
retching,  &c.  Rev.  Mr.  Quarterman  was  assiduously  attentive,  hold- 
ing my  head,  and  acting  the  part  of  the  good  Samaritan.  I  kept  my 
bed  most  of  the  day,  but  towards  night  rode  in  a  chair,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Q.  and  others,  to  the  hills.  There  I  had  a  draught  of  pure 
water  from  a  rivulet,  which  I  had  much  desired  all  day,  having  been 
suffering  much  from  thirst ;  and,  thinking  of  a  nice  cold  spring  in 
"  cold  harbor  "  meadow,  at  Northboro',  which  I  used  to  frequent 
when  a  boy,  it  seemed  to  me  that  if  I  ever  went  to  America  again,  I 
should  go  to  that  spring  and  drink  to  my  heart's  content. 

An  old  Chinaman  on  board  of  our  boat  being  questioned  yesterday 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Quarterman  respecting  a  future  existence,  gave  it  as  his 
belief  that  if  he  was  good  in  this  life  he  would  be  born  into  the  noxt 
world  a  man,  and  in  connection  with  a  family  of  honor  and  distino- 


CHUSAN. STOKY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  295 

tion ;  but  if  lie  was  bad  here,  he  would  there  exist  as  a  cow  or  a 
woman. 

Sunday,  July  23th.  —  I  sat  up  part  of  the  day,  my  whole  desire 
being  for  drink,  having  considerable  fever. 

Religious  services  were  held  in  Mr.  Loomis'  room  at  ten  A.  it.  Mr. 
Johnson  officiated,  and  the  service  being  short,  we  all  attended. 

Towards  night  Mr.  W.  and  I  walked  to  the  English  burial-ground, 
situated  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  a  few  steps  from  our  quarters.  On 
the  top  of  the  hill  stands  a  Chinese  -temple.  There  are  here  about 
thirty  grave-stones,  "  sacred  to  the  memory  "  of  several  hundreds  of 
those  who  had  belonged  to  the  English  army  while  stationed  here. 

The  Chinese  had  here  one  small  open  tomb,  containing  abo'ut  twenty 
pails,  in  which  were  deposited  the  heads  of  pirates  who  had  been 
decapitated.  I  suppose  they  thought  the  "barbarian"  burial-place 
the  most  fitting  for  such  a  tomb. 

The  top  of  the  hill  and  the  temple  are  surrounded  by  a  heavy,  thick 
wall,  with  embrasures,  capable  of  being  fortified.  The  Bunn  is  a 
walk,  built  and  walled  up  on  the  edge  of  the-water,  for  about  a  mile 
in  extent.  A  bank  of  clay  and  turf  about  five  feet  high  is  raised  on 
this,  intended  as  a  breastwork  defence  to  the  harbor. 

Monday,  July  30<A.  —  I  kept  my  bed  most  of  the  day.  Towards 
evening  I  took  a  chair  and  accompanied  the  missionary  ladies  and  • 
gentlemen  to  the  country-seat  of  a  wealthy  Chinaman,  where  I  pro- 
cured a  cooling  draught  of  water  from  the  rivulet ;  and  then  we  con- 
tinued on  to  a  pass  in  the  mountains.  This  our  party  understood  to 
be  the  pass  the  English  troops  came  through  when  they  took  this 
island.  There  is  a  story  that  when  the  British  fleet  was  advancing  up 
the  coast  the  Chinese  fortified  the  harbor  of  Chusan,  and  awaited  the 
coming  of  the  enemy.  The  fleet  approached  the  island,  and  the  Chinese 
stood  at  their  guns,  along  the  fortifications,  with  the  brave  intention 
of  blowing  up  the  English  vessels  as  soon  as  they  should  appear;  but 
what  was  their  surprise  and  mortification,  while  watching  for  the 
vessels,  to  see  the  English  appear  on  land,  marching  through  this  pass 
of  the  mountains !  They  had  landed  on  the  other  side,  and  were 
inarching  directly  on  the  city,  which  lay  between  them  and  the  Chinese 
fortifications.  The  Chinese  are  said  to  have  exclaimed, 

"  Hai-yar  !  Ilai-yar  !  how  can  so  fashion,  that  Englishman  he  too 
muchy  fraid  ;  hai-yar,  he  come  back-side,  that  no  fair  fightce  !  " 

The  city  easily  fell,  and  the  Chinese  had  another  lesson  to  learn  in 
the  art  of  war  from  their  English  teachers. 


296  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Tuesday,  July  31s£.  —  I  thought  I  would  persevere  in  going  out, 
although  I  was  so  unwell  that  it  seemed  as  if  I  could  not  make  the 
effort.  Deciding  that  it  was  all  nonsense  to  be  sick  here,  Mr.  TV". 
made  the  arrangements,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  descend  the  stairs 
and  take  my  seat  in  the  sedan-chair.  After  a  comfortable  ride,  we 
were  set  down  at  a  house  at  the  distance  of  a  couple  of  miles.  We 
learned  that  the  proprietor  was  dead,  and  that  a  poor  man  now  was 
living  here  and  taking  care  of  the  estate  for  a  minor  son,  who  was 
living  at  present  elsewhere. 

The  man  was  well-disposed,  and  brought  us  tea  as  soon  as  we 
arrived.  I  had  some  cool  water  brought  from  the  rivulet,  and,  with 
my  mat  spread  on  the  stone  floor,  and  a  pillow,  I  laid  down  and  felt 
comfortable  while  I  saw  the  water-jar  within  reach.  We  are  now  in 
the  summer-house,  adjoining  the  garden.  It  is  furnished  in  real 
Chinese  style,  so  that,  if  we  choose,  we  can  recline  on  the  broad  seats, 
and  sip  our  tea  after  the  Chinese  fashion. 

The  garden  was  ornamented  with  many  trees,  flowers,  artificial 
grottoes,  and  little  walks.  The  walks  were  paved  with  small  pebbles 
from  the  beach,  representing,  in  their  arrangement  and  different 
colors,  various  figures  and  characters.  Other  passages  around,  over, 
and  through  the  grottoes  and  artificial  rocks,  were  so  arranged  with 
a  small  pond  as  to  convey  the  idea  that  they  might  have  been  formed 
by  the  dashing  of  the  water.  Plants  are  springing  from  different 
portions,  and  vines  and  flowers  give  a  romantic  wildness  to  the 
whole. 

Small  porticoes  project  over  the  wall  on  the  left  side,  and  on  the 
right  is  a  beautiful  little  dark  grove  of  bamboos.  Tombs  of  various 
shapes  cover  the  hill-side,  just  above  the  house,  and  on  our  return 
we  remarked  their  great  numbers.  Hill  after  hill,  almost  to  their 
summits,  with  others  in  the  background,  which  could  be  seen,  was 
covered  with  them,  so  that  at  a  little  distance  they  appeared  like  cities 
of  tombs.  We  arrived  home  at  six  P.  M. 

Wednesday,  August  1st.  —  We  were  all  up  soon  after  daylight  this 
morning,  expecting  an  excursion  to  "  Puto,"  a  neighboring  island 
of  the  group  ;  but,  as  Mr.  L.  was  absent  with  the  boat  we  wished  to 
go  in,  and  as  the  other  boatmen  said  there  was  danger  from  pirates, 
typhoons,  &c.,  we  concluded  not  to  go  at  this  time.  That  island  is 
remarkable  for  the  great  number  of  Chinese  temples  with  which  it 
abounds,  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else. 

Mr.  West  and  Mr.  Loomia  went  off  to  the  hills,  and  Mr.  Johnson, 


CUIMIAE. A   CHINESE   TEA-SIIOP.  297 

Mr.  Quarterman  and  myself,  took  a  boat  and  had  a  sail,  circumnavi- 
gating two  of  the  islands  near  by.  The  breeze  was  fresh  and  reviving 
to  us  all,  though  the  odor  from  the  boat,  it  having  once  been  a  fishing- 
boat,  was  sickeningly  disagreeable,  and  neutralized  the  renovating 
effects  we  might  have  received  from  the  air.  While  out  wre  sang  the 
"  Missionary  Hymn,"  and  the  Chant,  all  joining.  It  sounded  prettily, 
and  was  peculiarly  impressive  in  our  isolation,  as  it  seemed  to  be, 
fr^ui  the  civilized  world.  I  passed  the  remainder  of  the  day  on  my 
couch. 

Thursday,  August  Id.  —  Mr.  Q.  left  us  and  returned  to  Ningpoo. 
1  was  hoping  that  Mr.  L.  would  return  to-day,  so  that  we  might  go 
to  the  island  of  Puto ;  but,  as  he  has  not  returned,  and  Mr.  Q.  is  gone, 
we  shall  give  up  that  project.  Several  of  us,  however,  walked  to  see 
the  building  formerly  used  for  the  English  hospital.  It  has  since 
remained  empty.  Every  pane  of  glass  had  been  broken  out  by  the 
Chinese,  everything  about  the  building  of  a  foreign  character 
removed,  and  one  of  their  gods  placed  inside.  The  large  temple  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  in  which  the  English  officers  were  quartered,  has 
been  remodelled,  and  whole  lines  of  gods  reinstated  ;  and  the  priests, 
very  polite,  are  in  attendance  as  before. 

Friday,  August  3d.  —  Mr.  Johnson  and  myself  took  a  boat  to  return 
to  Ningpoo  soon  after  sunrise  this  morning.  The  wind  was  very 
light,  and  the  men  were  obliged  to  row  all  the  way,  which  made  it 
rather  tedious  for  us.  We  came  into  the  river  about  one  r.  M.  and 
anchored  opposite  Chinhae,  waiting  for  the  tide. 

While  here  we  took  a  small  boat  and  went  on  shore  to  promenade 
through  the  city  of  Chinhae.  After  walking  a  while,  hot,  tired  and 
thirsty,  we  stepped  into  a  Chinese  tea  (drinking)  shop,  where  numer- 
ous Chinese  were  sitting  at  little  tables  drinking  hot  tea.  We  .were, 
of  course,  the  objects  of  their  staring  eyes,  and  attracted  a  crowd 
about  the  door.  We  took  seats  at  a  little  table,  and  a  Chinese  waiter 
brought  two  cups  with  lids  and  placed  them  before  us.  Another 
followed,  and  dropped  into  the  cups  half  a  dozen  tea-leaves.  A  third 
came  with  a  tea-kettle,  and  poured  boiling  water  on  the  leaves,  and 
covered  the  cups  with  the  lid.  The  heat  and  steam  being  thus  kept 
in,  the  tea  directly  diffused  itself  through  the  water,  and  in  a  few 
moments  it  was  ready  to  be  drank.  Depressing  one  edge  of  the  lid, 
we  sipped  it  off,  when  the  man  with  the  tea-kettle  came  and  again 
filled  the  cups  with  water.  This  he  does  to  all,  going  around  among 
tho  tea-drinkers,  and  filling  their  cups  as  often  as  emptied,  if  to  the 


298  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

fiftieth  time,  and  without  any  change  of  the  leaves.  We  had  our 
cups  filled  the  fifth  or  sixth  time,  and  left  them  full  at  last :  and  our 
last  cup  seemed  nearly  as  strong  as  the  first.  We  paid  for  our  tea  five 
cash  apiece,  —  in  all  about  a  cent. 

We  visited  the  market,  some  temples,  shops,  &c.,  meeting  with 
nothing  particularly  interesting.  I  bought  some  peaches  and  ate, 
which  is  about  all  I  have  taken  to-day.  On  our  way  I  noticed  an 
infant,  rolled  up  in  a  mat,  and  floating  in  the  river,  borne  down  by 
the  current,  which  would  soon  carry  it  out  to  sea.  Reaching  home 
(at  Mr.  Way's)  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  called  up  Mr.  Q., 
who  let  us  in. 

Saturday,  August  ±th.  —  Had  some  appetite  for  breakfast,  for  the 
first  time  lately ;  took  a  bath,  and  at  two  P.  st.  retired  to  my  couch. 

I  observed  to-day  more  infants  floating  in  the  river.  I  am  told  that 
infanticide  here  prevails  to  a  great  extent.  They  destroy  only  the 
female  infants.  They  say  the  males  are  able  to  work  and  support 
themselves,  but  the  females,  with  their  small  feet,  are  comparatively 
helpless ;  and,  if  their  parents  are  not  affluent,  they  remain  an  en- 
cumbrance through  life ;  or,  if  cast  on  the  world  without  support, 
they  will  lead  a  life  of  profligacy  and  misery.  And  therefore,  severe 
as  it  may  seem  to  us,  they  regard  it  as  a  virtuous  act,  and  a  kindness 
to  the  world,  to  themselves  and  to  the  infants,  to  strangle  them,  and 
consign  them  to  the  water  which  floats  them  to  the  sea.  The  manner 
of  strangling  usually  is  by  a  piece  of  paper,  wet  in  vinegar,  and  laid 
over  the  mouth  and  nose  of  the  infant. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

CHINESE    OPIUM-SMOKING. DEMANDS    OP    RANSOM-MONEY   OF   F1RATES.  — 

WORMS    IN   TEETH.  —  IMPOSITIONS   OF   AN   OLD   WOMAN. VISIT   TO    LU- 

CONG. LEAVE   FOR   SHANGHAE   BY   THE  WAY   OF   CHAPOO,   AND   ACROSS 

THE   COUNTRY. 

SUNDAY,  August  5th.  — It  was  very  warm  this  morning.  I  attend -d 
church  at  the  new  missionary  chapel.  Rev.  Mr.  Way  conducted  the 
services. 

Monday,  August  Qth. — This  evening,  in  company  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  W.  and  Mr.  J.,  I  dined  at  the  English  consul's.  We  met  there 
sorna  officers  from  an  English  man-of-war.  I  was  so  miserable  in  health 


NINGPOO. PIRATES    AGAIN.  ll'JO 

that  it  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  keep  up  a  respectable  appearance 
on  the  occasion. 

I  called,  with  a  friend,  at  the  house  of  Dr.  McG.,  to  see  some 
Chinese  opium  patients  —  victims  of  opium-smoking.  They  were 
most  pitiful-looking  objects,  emaciated  almost  to  skeletons,  their 
faculties  obtused,  with  long,  sorrowful  countenances.  The  doctor 
requires  them  to  give  up  their  pipes  as  the  first  preliminary  to 
their  becoming  his  patients  ;  and,  after  a  few  months  of  medical  treat- 
ment, they  are  generally  cured.  It  costs  them  a  severe  struggle  to 
contend  against  the  fascinating  effects  of  the  drug,  when  it  has  kept 
them  for  years  under  its  influence.  They  require  more  or  less  of  nar- 
cotics in  their  treatment,  or  they  would  go  crazy  from  the  abruptness 
of  the  change. 

We  then  called  at  several  temples,  and  visited  the  foundling  hos- 
pital, in  the  city  ;  but,  on  account  of  my  ill  feelings,  I  cannot  recol- 
lect much  about  them.  I  remember  seeing  a  range  of  low,  dirty  build- 
ings, called  the  hospital,  in  which  were  seated  numbers  of  dirty 
Chinese  women,  and  in  whose  arms,  and  on  the  floor,  scattered  about, 
were  sundry  bundles  of  rags  ;  and  I  remember  seeing,  on  closer  obser- 
vation, projecting  from  the  end  of  each  bundle,  something  resembling 
the,  head  of  an  infant,  spotted  with  sores  and  stained  with  dirt. 

Ningpoo,  Tuesday,  August  1th.  —  We  have  just  received  news  that 
the  pirates  have  captured  two  junks  in  the  neighborhood  of  Chusan, 
mangling  those  on  board  in  a  horrible  manner.  I  think  it  fortunate 
that  we  did  not  leave  Chusan  for  Puto.  The  pirates  have  a  singular 
way  of  extracting  money  from  the  mandarins.  They  hold  the  prison- 
ers which  they  have  taken,  while  one  of  their  number  goes  to  the  man- 
darin in  whose  jurisdiction  they  belong,  and  demands  a  large  sum, 
sometimes  as  high  as  eight  hundred  dollars,  for  the  release  of  each  one. 
If  this  is  not  complied  with,  then  the  pirates  at  once  take  off  the  heads 
of  their  prisoners.  The  mandarins,  knowing  the  consequence  of  a 
denial,  do  not  generally  dare  to  refuse  them ;  and  the  pirate  who 
goes  to  negotiate  fears  no  harm  to  himself,  for  he  knows  that  the 
lives  of  the  captives  depend  on  his  safe  and  speedy  return.  Sometimes 
the  pirates  send  their  messenger  to  the  families  or  friends  of  the  cap- 
tives, stating  that  if  their  terms  are  not  acceded  to,  and  the  ransom- 
money  coming  by  a  particular  time,  they  will  kill  them  forthwith. 
The  amount  of  ransom-money  is  generally  regulated  by  the  importance 
of  the  person,  and  the  wealth  of  the  relatives. 

To-morrow  a  fleet  of  war-junks  will  be  sent  by  the  government 


300  CUINA    AND    MANILLA. 

against  them,  several  mandarins  accompanying  them  ;  but  they  have 
so  little  courage  in  a  fight  that  they  are  almost  sure  to  succumb  and 
be  taken  prisoners  themselves. 

I  had  a  considerable  conversation,  two  or  three  weeks  since,  with 

Mrs. ,  about  an  old  Chinese  woman  who  pretends  to  extract 

worms  from  the  teeth.  She  lias  had  the  old  woman  at  her  house  many 
times,  and  lately  once  or  twice  a  week  regularly,  to  look  at  her  teeth. 
As  often  as  the  old  woman  came  she  succeeded  in  extracting  s:!\wn! 
worms,  of  the  size  of  half  an  oat-seed,  from  her  mouth.  The  lady 
thought  strange  that  her  teeth  should  be  so  infested  with  worms ;  but, 
as  the  woman  could  find  them  in  almost  every  one's  mouth  which  she 
looked  into,  she  thought  it  natural,  and,  with  a  number  of  others, 
became  strongly  enlisted  in  the  old  woman's  favor.  A  few  days 
since,  however,  the  old  woman  was  at  her  house,  and  extracting  worms 

as  successfully  as  ever,  when  the  young  daughter  of  Mrs. ,  who 

was  looking  on  and  closely  watching  the  movements  of  the  old  woman, 
saw  the  worms  concealed  under  one  of  her  long  finger-nails,  and  in 
that  way  conducted  into  the  mouth,  from  which  it  was  directly  after 

brought  out  on  the  chopstick.  The  belief  of  Mrs. was  thus 

suddenly  changed  to  unbelief ;  and  she  sent  the  old  woman  out  of  the 
house,  forbidding  her  ever  again  to  enter  it.  She  was  much  provoked 
at  having  allowed  herself  to  be  so  much  imposed  on.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  I  am  told  there  are  a  number  of  others  who  continue  to  have 
firm  faith  in  the  ability  of  the  old  woman  to  remove  worms  from  their 
teeth. 

This  afternoon  the  same  old  Chinawoman,  through  Mr.  W.'s  invi- 
tation, for  my  particular  edification,  made  her  appearance.  She  took 
worms  out  of  the  mouths  of  several  Chinese  boys,  and  we  could  not 
detect  her  putting  them  in.  By  watching  her  quite  closely,  however, 
si ic  was  troubled,  and  did  not  succeed  readily  in  finding  them,  and  said 
there  were  no  more  to  remove.  Relaxing  our  vigilance,  to  enable  her  to 
proceed,  she  quickly  discovered  one  in  another  boy's  mouth,  showing 
it  to  us  as  it  was  writhing  on  the  end  of  her  chopstick.  We  now 
watched  her  again,  but,  after  poking  about  a  while,  she  declared 
that  no  more  were  to  be  found.  She  used  a  long,  blunt  hair-pin,  made 
of  silver,  and  a  common  chopstick.  She  looked  into  the  mouths  of 
each  one  of  us,  and  immediately  decided  whether  we  had  any  worms 
there  or  not.  One  little  boy  with  sound  teeth  she  said  had  them  ;  but 
they  had  not  yet  come  out.  She  would  give  a  kind  of  vacant  stare  when 
she  pretended  to  examine,  and  it  made  no  difference  if  the  mouth  was 


NINGPOO. LEAVE-TAKING.  801 

only  in  part  unclosed  :  she  could  see  to  pronounce  on  the  worms  the 
same.  She  told  me  that  there  were  some  in  my  mouth,  also  that  Mrs. 
W.  and  Mr.  Q.  had  them,  but  that  Mr.  W.  had  none.  Mr.  Q.'s 
teeth  I  had  myself  thoroughly  examined  yesterday  and  Saturday.  Our 
belief,  from  her  appearance  and  actions,  was,  that  she  had  them  con- 
cealed in  her  own  mouth.  There  was  hardly  any  motion  to  her  lips, 
and  she  held  them  in  a  stiff  and  constrained  way  when  she  spoke.  She 
had  frequently  to  put  up  her  hand  to  her  mouth,  quite  covering  it, 
when  there  was  no  call  for  doing  so.  Having  kept  her  a  considerable 
time,  closely  questioning  and  laughing  at  her,  she  commenced  chok- 
ing, and  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  window  to  vomit,  probably  from  the 
worms  getting  into  her  throat.  Before  this  Mr.  W.  requested  her  to 
allow  him  to  look  into  her  mouth,  to  see  if  she  had  worms  in  her 
teeth,  but  could  not  prevail  on  her  to  let  him  do  so.  He  persisted,  and 
finally  offered  her  cash,  which  will  tempt  the  Chinese  when  every  tiling 
else  fails ;  but  she  would  not  consent,  and  begged  that  he  would  let 
her  go  about  her  business.  He  at  last  told  her  that  he  believed  she 
had  the  worms  in  her  mouth.  She  shook  her  head,  and  said  "  No." 
She  said,  in  her  answers  to  Mr.  W.'s  questions,  that  she  could  not 
teach  any  person  how  to  remove  them  —  that  she  had  learned  the  art 
when  a  little  girl.  Being  asked  why  she  could  not  inform  others  of 
the  mystery,  she  said  that "  every  one  must  live  by  their  trade."  The 
kind  of  worms  the  old  woman  dealt  in  I  have  often  observed  in  the 
cess-pools  along  the  streets,  a  moving  mass  of  them,  but  very  conve- 
nient to  be  procured.  There  are  few  here  now  who  credit  her  asser- 
tions. 

Wednesday,  August  15th.  —  Some  Chinese  boys  in  the  school  here 
have  been  pawning  their  clothing,  and  taken  away  some  money.  In- 
vestigations are  being  made  by  some  of  the  missionary  teachers.  Mr. 
Q.  went  with  me  into  the  city  to  some  shops,  where  I  purchased  some 
handsome  picture-frames,  inlaid  with  ivory  and  bamboo. 

I  have  prepared,  this  p.  M.,  for  leaving  Ningpoo,  and  made  my  last 
calls  at  nine  in  the  evening.  I  was  inclined  to  stop  longer  at  Ningpoo, 
as  there  were  many  things  which  sickness  had  prevented  me  from 
accomplishing.  But,  as  my  boat  was  hired,  and  the  boatmen  waiting 
for  me,  with  other  reasons,  I  concluded  to  leave  and  try  to  reach 
Shanghae  by  Saturday  night. 

I  remained  to  family  worship  at  Mr.  "W.'s,  and,  having  had  a  pleas- 
ant conversation  till  eleven,  I  bade  them  adieu,  with  regrets  at  leaving 
so  many  kind  and  agreeable  friends. 
26 


802  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

Mr.  W.  and  Dr.  McC.  saw  me  safely  off  from  the  shore,  and  Mr. 
Q.  accompanied  me  to  see  that  everything  was  right  on  board  tho 
Chinese  craft  which  lay  out  in  the  stream.  All  in  order,  mos- 
quito-net, mattress,  &c.,  properly  arranged,  my  very  good  friend 
returned  ashore,  and  the  boat  spread  its  wings  to  a  fine  breeze,  and 
shot  ahead.  It  was  past  midnight  when  I  retired  to  my  snug  little 
quarters  within  the  net.  With  my  pistols,  loaded  and  capped,  under 
my  head,  and  my  boy  reclining  outside,  I  gave  myself  up  to  rest  till 
morning. 

Thursday,  August  IQth.  —  At  daylight  we  were  outside  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  and  I  thought  that  two  hours  would  take  us  to  Lucong  ; 
but,  the  wind  failing,  I  was  disappointed  in  being  detained  the  whole 
day. 

Almost  every  day  I  find  myself  foiled  in  something  that  I  wish  to 
accomplish,  or  interrupted  in  some  cherished  plan.  Often  this  is  the 
result  of  very  little  things,  which  is  more  annoying  when  they  might 
be  avoided,  as  when  the  boatmen,  in  a  small  breeze  and  I  in  a  hurry, 
have  no  sail  on,  or  when  they  come  to  anchor  while  I  wish  to  be 
moving.  Again,  when  I  wish  them  to  go  on  vigorously,  they  are  so 
slow  in  their  movements ;  and  my  endeavors  to  hasten  them  are  una- 
vailing, and  entirely  disregarded,  as  long  as  they  can  make  an  excuse 
of  wanting  to  eat  and  drink,  of  "  bad  wind,"  &c.  However,  I  suc- 
ceed in  arousing  them  earlier  in  the  morning  than  they  like,  by 
stamping  around  among  them,  banging  away  at  everything  that  will 
make  a  noise,  or  crying  out  as  if  hailing  a  boat  near  at  hand. 

"When  we  came  up  to  Captain  G.'s  vessel  at  Lucong,  the  boatmen 
did  not  seem  to  know  what  to  do.  They  went  around  to  the  other  side, 
and  then  back  again,  apparently  without  any  object.  I  sat  and 
looked  on,  thinking,  if  they  did  not  know  enough  to  go  alongside,  they 
might  continue  in  their  own  way  till  they  had  learned.  Finally  one 
of  the  men  on  board  the  vessel  called  out  to  them,  and  they  went 
alongside.  I  have  been  disposed  to  be  charitable  in  my  feelings 
towards  them,  but  I  am  now  getting  a  little  callous.  They  always 
demand  more  than  was  agreed  on  with  them,  or  a  larger  remuneration 
than  is  usual,  on  the  most  trivial  pretence,  as  a  slight  variation, 
detention,  &c. 

Took  tea  on  board  of  Captain  Gutzle's  vessel.  He  is  a  pleasant  man, 
and,  on  my  desire  to  sleep  on  deck,  he  had  a  hammock  swung,  and  a 
bed  prepared  in  it.  My  mosquito-curtain,  hanging  over  this,  made 
it  a  most  comfortable  resting-place  for  the  night. 


LUCONG. POISONED    PIGS. CHIN-CHINNING    JOSH.  303 

Lucony,  C/iusan  Islands,  Friday,  August  YIth.  —  I  had  a  fine 
night's  rest,  and  was  up  at  daylight,  with  an  appetite  for  a  morning 
meal.  In  the  afternoon,  with  Captain  G.,  we  dined  on  board  Captain 
Hall's  vessel,  meeting  Mrs.  II.  and  sister.  Towards  night  I  \vent 
on  shore  with  Captain  G.,  and  took  a  ride  with  his  ponies,  —  coursing 
back  among  the  hills  and  valleys,  over  a  path  of  flat  stones,  only  wide 
enough  for  one  horse.  The  little  headstrong  animals  would  gallop 
at  full  speed  around  the  curves  and  windings  of  the  path,  and  then 
trot  recklessly  along  on  the  edge  of  a  ditch  or  bank,  much  to  my 
annoyance.  In  crossing  a  bridge  of  a  single  plank,  of  loss  than  a  foot 
wide,  they  would,  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  restrain  them,  rush  on  like 
mad  creatures,  entering  on  it  atone  angle,  and  passing  off  at  another. 
Sometimes  they  leaped,  clearing  ditch,  bridge  and  all,  and  I  often 
found  myself  seated  on  the  back  part  of  the  saddle. 

During  our  ride  I  saw  the  tree  from  which  varnish  is  made.  We 
had  tea  on  board  of  Captain  Hall's  ship,  and  all  spent  the  evening  in 
conversation  on  deck.  The  Lascars  (sailors  from  Ceylon)  are  having 
a  national  celebration.  They  have  both  ships  illuminated  with 
lanterns,  and  are  making  great  preparations  to  feast  during  the  night, 
and  to  fast  in  the  day-time.  They  presented  both  the  captains  (as  is 
customary  with  them)  each  with  a  piece  of  cooked  beef.  They  fired 
squibs,  crackers  and  rockets,  for  a  few  hours,  and  Captain  II.  allowed 
them  a  round  or  two  from  his  guns.  At  ten  p.  M.  we  took  our  boat, 
and  returned  to  Captain  G.'s  vessel. 

Saturday,  August  ISlh.  —  I  found  myself  disappointed  to-day  in  not 
I  icing  able  to  leave  for  Shanghae.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  day  I 
went  out  on  horseback  with  Captain  G.,  although  not  quite  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  the  ride  of  yesterday.  The  captains  here  raise  hogs 
on  shore,  which  the  Chinese,  who  have  pork  to  sell,  don't  like.  Con- 
sequently several  of  the  pigs  belonging  to  them  have  become  sick,  and 
some  have  died.  They  inquired  of  the  servant  on  shore  what  could 
be  done  to  prevent  their  dying.  He  answered  that  "  the  captain  must 
pay  some  money  to  the  priests  to  chin-chin  Josh,  or  they  would  all 
die."  The  captains,  regarding  it  as  better  to  pay  the  priests  something 
and  save  their  pigs,  consented  ;  for  they  know  the  Chinese  will  con- 
tinue to  poison  them  if  they  do  not.  And  so  yesterday,  when  we  went 
on  shore,  we  found  a  table  set  before  the  pen,  and  covered  with  a 
white  cloth,  and  dishes  of  food  placed  on  it,  as  an  offering  to  Josh,  to 
appease  his  Avrath,  and  to  chin-chin  his  favor  towards  the  pigs.  Three 
cups  were  placed  in  a  row,  with  a  few  dry  tea-leaves  in  them  ;  and 


304  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

then  a  row  of  six  cups,  with  tea  made  ready  to  drink  ;  six  bowls  of 
rice,  greens,  and  vegetables ;  six  bowls  of  various  kinds  of  meats,  and 
six  of  other  mixtures,  with  cakes  sufficient  to  make  them  quite  a  feast 
after  Josh  had  done  with  it.  They  say  that  Josh  comes  down  and 
eats  the  spiritual  part,  and  leaves  the  rest ;  and  so  I  conclude  that 
six  priests  are  to  finish  the  repast.  To-day  the  boy  said  that  the  pigs 
were  much  better,  and  they  thought  no  more  of  them  would  die,  the 
captain  also  being  of  that  same  opinion. 

Sunday,  August  \$th.  —  We  have  a  beautiful  sunrise,  pleasant 
weather,  good  wind,  and  full  tide,  our  boat  ready,  and  go  we  must. 
I  had  my  baggage  placed  on  board,  and,  taking  breakfast  hastily,  we 
were  off.  Captain  G.'s  boat  was  the  largest  and  most  comfortable 
one  that  I  had  yet  seen.  I  could  stand  and  walk  about  in  the  cabin. 
With  a  crew  of  three  or  four  Chinamen,  and  as  many  Lascars,  John, 
a  Spaniard,  and  chief  officer,  and  my  boy,  — in  all  ten  or  twelve  men, 
—  I  thought  we  were  strong  enough  to  make  a  little  resistance 
against  an  enemy,  if  necessary.  The  boat  was  well  armed,  guns  loaded 
and  capped,  and  cutlasses,  pistols  and  spears,  covered  the  walls  of  the 
cabin.  Captain  G.  had  generously  supplied  us  with  a  good  quantity 
of  food  and  drink.  After  we  had  proceeded  a  couple  of  miles,  we 
were  startled  by  the  report  of  a  cannon.  We  stopped  and  observed 
that  the  smoke  came  from  Captain  G.'s  vessel,  and  that  directly  a 
boat  put  off:  We  concluded  that  this  was  intended  for  us,  and  turned 
about,  meeting  the  boat,  with  Captain  Hall  in  it,  who  brought  letters 
for  me  to  take  to  Shanghae. 

Crossing  the  "piratical  Chapoo  bay"  of  forty  miles,  we  reached 
Chapoo  about  three  p.  M.  The  city  looked  pretty  as  we  approached  it, 
mountains  rising  up  on  the  right,  on  the  base  of  which  were  somo 
decent-looking  fortifications.  I  did  not  wish  to  stop  long,  nor  to  be 
seen  by  the  Chinese  ;  for  lately  Chapoo  had  become  worse  than  ever. 
The  floods  had  destroyed  the  crops  of  rice,  and  the  people  had  come 
in  from  the  country  by  thousands,  to  get  something  to  prevent  them 
from  starving.  They  had  broken  open  the  public  granaries  and 
helped  themselves  to  rice,  and  affairs  were  in  rather  a  disorderly  state. 
Knowing  that  I  should  have  to  pay  an  exorbitant  price  for  a  boat  if 
they  knew  it  was  for  a  foreigner,  and  as  I  could  not  avoid  taking  one 
or  two  hundred  dollars  in  silver,  I  thought  it  best  to  keep  every  one  in 
ignorance  of  my  presence.  Consequently  I  remained  in  the  boat  out 
of  sight,  while  my  boy  went  on  shore  to  hire  another  for  Shanghae.  I 
cautioned  him,  telling  him, 


ON   THE   CANAL. SLOW    PROGRESS.  305 

"  No  casion  talkee  Mcriky-man  wanchee  that  boat,  you  talkeo  one 
fashion,  you  makee  hire,  massa-que  (no  matter)  who  wanchee." 

"0!"  said  he,  laughing,  "I  sarvy  that  thing  too  muchy.  No 
casion  talkee  any  man  wanchee  makey  hire  that  boat  —  that  boatman 
wanchee  more  cash." 

About  three  quarters  of  an  hour  elapsed,  and  the  boy  returned  with, 
"  All  ready."  The  price  for  the  boat  to  Shanghae  is  less  than  three 
dollars,  while  Mr.  P.  paid,  a  few  days  since,  ten  dollars  for  the  earne 
trip. 

We  landed  at  a  large  and  handsome  stone  bridge,  and,  sending  the 
baggage  ahead,  followed  a  little  distance  behind  ;  and,  walking  about 
half  a  mile,  through  the  crowded  city,  to  the  canal,  took  the  boat.  A 
crowd  began  to  collect  about  us,  and  I  hurried  the  boatmen  to  push 
off.  By  and  by  a  man  among  the  crowd  demanded  a  dollar  from  me 
before  starting.  I  did  not  know  who  he  was,  and,  considering  this  one 
of  the  many  impositions  of  the  Chinese,  refused,  saying  that  I  would 
pay  no  one  but  the  boatmen  ;  but,  finding  it  likely  to  occasion  a  delay 
and  trouble,  —  for  there  was  much  talk,  and  a  clamor  arising  about  it, 
—  and  being  assured  by  iny  boy  that  it  was  all  right,  I  paid  it,  and  we 
could  then  start.  A  large  gathering  of  Chinese  on  the  banks  of  the 
canal  gazed  after  us  till  we  were  out  of  sight.  This  was  about  five 
p.  M.,  and  the  remainder  of  the  day  I  spent  in  taking  a  survey  of  our 
course,  looking  at  the  various  styles  of  boats,  comparing  their  advan- 
tages one  with  another  —  at  the  houses  and  inhabitants,  trees,  crops, 
gateways,  and  tombs.  The  weather  was  very  pleasant,  but  the  evening 
was  dark,  and  I  retired  early  to  my  couch,  and  laid  awake  till  twelve. 

On  the  canal  between  Chapoo  and  Shanghae,  Monday,  August  2Qth.  — 
I  found  the  boat  motionless  when  I  awoke  this  morning,  which  was 
about  daylight,  and  that  we  had  been  at  anchor  since  one  o'clock  at 
night.  After  rising  and  starting  up  the  boatmen,  we  were  again 
under  way.  It  seemed  to  me  that  they  would  have  lain  till  mid-day, 
had  I  not  roused  them.  Time  seems  of  no  moment  with  them.  We 
had  to  wait  at  one  place  in  the  afternoon  five  hours  for  the  tide  to 
turn,  and  I  went  ashore  and  bought  some  water-melons  for  a  few 
cents  apiece.  I  had  to  start  the  boatmen  off  again,  or  we  might  have 
remained  here  till  to-morrow.  With  all  that  I  could  do  I  could  not 
get  up  a  sail.  We  had  a  good  wind  yesterday,  and  came  out  of 
Chapoo  last  night  without  a  sail.  Most  of  the  other  boats  had  saila 
up,  and,  passing  right  ahead  of  us,  were  soon  out  of  sight.  But,  for 
some  reason,  they  said  that  the  sail  would  not  answer  with  this  boat. 
26* 


306  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

The  boatmen  suffered  for  this  ;  for  when  they  do  not  go  by  sails,  they 
have  to  scull  the  boat  by  their  own  labor.  I  gave  my  boy  a  lecture 
for  getting  a  boat  that  would  not  sail,  and  I  think  he  understood  the 
substance,  though  probably  not  the  words.  I  presume  that  the 
boat  is  so  flat-bottomed  she  runs  off  to  the  leeward  if  the  wind  is 
not  fair. 

I  now  found  that  we  were  in  the  broad  river  of  \Yoosung  ;  but 
when  we  came  into  this  from  the  canal  I  cannot  tell.  The  canal  itself 
was  sufficiently  broad  for  a  river,  and  may  be  continuous  with  the 
river.  It  is  probable  that  we  lost  sight  of  the  canal  in  the  night.  I 
was  quite  rejoiced,  towards  evening,  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
pagoda  ;  for  I  recognized  it,  and  knew  it  to  be  within  ten  miles  of 
Shanghae. 

Yesterday  I  noticed,  all  the  way  through  the  country,  irrigating 
machines  in  operation.  These  were  placed  along  the  banks  of  canala 
and  rivers  at  short  intervals,  drawing  the  water  up  a  long  inclined 
trough,  and  pouring  it,  by  an  almost  constant  stream,  into  the  land, 
where  it  circulated  through  the  adjoining  rice-flats.  An  endless  chain 
of  little  partitions  is  made  to  revolve  over  a  horizontal  cog-wheel  at 
the  head  of  the  trough,  and,  dipping  into  the  water  at  the  other  end, 
is  drawn  through  the  trough,  bringing  them  full  of  water  to  the  top. 
The  wheel  is  worked  by  a  bullock  or  a  cow,  driven  in  a  circular  path 
around  the  machine  ;  or  as  often  by  a  line  of  men  or  women  standing 
and  stepping  on  it,  turning  it  by  the  weight  of  their  own  bodies. 

In  the  part  of  the  country  passed  through  to-day,  instead  of  irri- 
gating machines  were  sets  of  fishing  apparatus.  These  stand  in  the 
water  along  both  shores  of  the  river,  and,  with  the  fishermen  tending 
them,  remind  me  of  spiders  looking  out  from  their  webs,  waiting  for 
prey.  A  long  box,  somewhat  resembling  their  coffins,  and  thatched 
with  straw,  is  raised  on  long  legs,  like  a  saw-horse,  ten  or  twelve  feet 
above  the  water.  This  is  of  a  height  sufficient  to  allow  the  man  to  sit 
in  at  one  end  and  observe  what  is  passing  without ;  and,  I  presume, 
is  his  resting-place  at  night.  In  front,  a  few  feet  distant,  is  an  upright 
post,  considerably  higher  than  his  head,  on  the  top  of  which  is  bal- 
anced a  long  and  large  bamboo  lever,  like  a  well-sweep.  At  the  fur- 
ther end  of  this  is  suspended  the  net,  ten  to  twenty  feet  square,  by  its 
four  corners,  after  the  manner  of  an  inverted  umbrella.  At  the  end 
nearest  to  tlie  man  is  attached  a  rope  hanging  within  the  reach  of  his 
hand,  which,  by  pulling,  raises  the  net,  or,  by  relaxing,  lets  it  back 
into  the  water.  Every  few  minutes  the  man  pulls  the  rope  and  i-.iio.s 


SHANGIIAE. A    FA1TIIFUL   BOY.  307 

the  net ;  and,  finding  nothing  in  it,  he  lets  it  gradually  back  again. 
Hundreds  of  times  during  the  day  did  I  watch  the  fishermen  going 
through  this  operation,  and  not  once  did  I  observe  a  fish  caught.  I 
observed  large  fish  sometimes  jump  from  the  water,  and  I  saw  a  shoal 
of  porpoises  gambolling,  by  which  I  knew  that  there  was  communica- 
tion with  the  sea  not  far  off. 

I  noticed  places  on  the  way  where  the  water  had  not  yet  drained 
from  the  land  which  it  had  flooded.  The  country,  however,  looks 
green  and  flourishing.  Clumps  of  trees  are  interspersed  here  and  thcro 
as  far  as  can  be  seen,  and  houses  and  small  villages  are  nearly  hid  in 
their  midst.  Hundreds  of  boats  are  passing  and  repassing  on  the 
canals  and  rivers. 

Arriving  about  nine  o'clock  at  Sharighae,  I  went  on  shore,  calling 
to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  and  Dr.  II.  Having  some  engagements  at 
Woosung,  I  concluded  to  do  all  under  one,  and  continue  on  down  the 
river  to-night.  It  was  twelve  o'clock  before  my  things  were  all 
changed  to  the  other  boat  for  Woosung.  My  boatman  wanted  to  be 
paid  in  Chinese  cash  instead  of  dollars,  and  I  had  to  wait  an  hour  to 
get  the  change  with  which  to  accommodate  him.  The  other  boatmen 
then  said  that  the  tide  would  not  admit  of  our  starting  till  four  in  the 
morning,  which,  I  suppose,  was  what  the  boatmen  wished  and  had 
contrived  ;  and  I  had  my  bed  spread,  and  retired  to  rest. 

Woosung,  Tuesday,  21st.  —  I  was  awoke  this  morning  by  a  sliding 
kind  of  motion  from  one  side  of  the  boat  to  the  other.  Hastening  up, 
I  found  we  were  under  way,  the  wind  blowing  strongly,  and  the  water 
rough,  causing  the  violent  movement  of  the  boat.  I  came  up  to  the 
"  Wm.  Hews,"  at  Woosung,  and  met  on  board  a  welcome  from  Cap- 
tain Roundy.  I  delivered  up  to  the  captain,  with  many  thanks,  his 
boy  which  he  had  lent  me,  paying  the  boy,  and  adding  a  small  present 
for  his  faithfulness.  I  should  like  to  have  taken  him  to  Hong-Kong 
with  me,  and  kept  him  until  I  left  this  part  of  the  world,  or  even  taken 
him  to  America  ;  but  his  present  master  appreciated  him  quite  as 
much  as  myself,  and  was  unwilling  to  spare  him.  I  have  not  before 
seen  a  Chinese  servant  in  whom  I  felt  such  confidence.  I  had  no 
cause  to  distrust  his  honesty  or  devotcdness,  had  no  fault  to  find,  and 
part  with  him  as  from  a  friend. 

Friday,  24M.  —  Yesterday  I  went  ashore,  with  Captain  R.  and 
others,  towards  night,  and  took  a  long  walk,  for  pleasure  and  the  exer- 
cise, along  the  old  and  neglected  fortifications.  Many  large  Chinese 


308  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

guns  were  lying  scattered  about  rusting  on  the  ground,  and  some  half- 
buried  in  the  earth,  as  if  there  was  no  further  use  for  them. 

It  rains  hard  every  morning  lately.  This  afternoon  we  dined  with 
Captain  Endicott,  meeting  Dr.  Murray  and  Captain  Bush.  All  the 
foreigners  here  live  on  board  of  vessels,  as  at  Whampoa. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

LETTER    TO    A    SISTER. ENGAGE    PASSAGE    BY    THE     "COQUETTE"     TOR 

HONG-KONG. WALK    ABOUT     THE    CITY. GREAT    WALL    OF    CHINA. 

LETTER    TO   A    SISTER. 

LETTER   TO   SISTER  H. 

Shanyhae,  August  26th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  will  send  you  a  few  leaves  from  my  journal, 
that  you  may  know  how  time  is  passing  with  ine^.  Yesterday  I  re- 
turned from  Woosung  with  Captains  R.  and  E.  in  their  boat,  and  am 
now  again  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baylies.  To-day 
I  attended  the  missionaries'  chapel  within  the  walls.  On  the  way  I 
saw  a  beggar  lying  dead  at  the  side  of  the  street.  All  the  Chinese,  as 
they  came  in  sight,  held  their  hands  to  their  faces,  and  hurried  by, 
half-ruffling  ;  and,  when  far  enough  passed,  dropped  them,  giving  a 
long  expiration.  Why  they  should  hold  their  breath  I  could  see  no 
reason,  as  there  was  no  odor  arising  from  the  body.  Afternoon,  I 
heard  service  at  the  English  Episcopal  church.  At  Mr.  G.'s  I  had  a 
treat,  looking  over  the  late  American  papers,  of  which  I  had  seen 
none  for  some  weeks.  You  in  America  can  hardly  conceive  the  real 
pleasure  there  is  to  be  derived  from  newspapers.  Plant  yourself 
eighteen  thousand  miles  away,  and  you  will  be  able  to  form*  an  idea 
of  it. 

Monday,  August  2~th.  —  I  have  obtained  another  boy,  whose  cun- 
ning, sinister,  foxy  face  contrasts  strongly  and  disagreeably  with 
the  full  and  open  countenance  of  the  last  one  I  had.  In  making 
some  visits  to-day,  the  chair-bearers  had  an  altercation  with  each 
other,  which  I  was  afraid  would  end  in  a  fight,  and  subject  me  to  dis- 
agreeable consequences.  They  had  set  me  down  at  a  house  in  a  wrong 
part  of  the  city  ;  and  their  dispute  ran  high,  with  excited  words  and 
furious  gesticulations,  evidently  charging  each  other  with  the  blame. 
After  some  delay,  they  went  on,  and  at  last  brought  me  to  the  right 
place. 

I  have  been  engaged  to-day  in  making  various  preparations  for  leav- 
ing in  a  few  days.  It  is  my  intention  to  take  jviss;ige  with  (.'upturn 
Prescott,  of  the  "  Coquette."  for  Hong-Kong,  the  List  o!  the  we.k. 


SHANGIIAE. CHINESE   PROCESSION.  309 

I  met  Captain  Prcscott  at  Mr.  G.'s,  where  I  had  been  to  dine,  and 
made  arrangements  for  the  voyage. 

Dr.  L.,  the  surgeon  of  the  English  missionary  hospital,  has  called, 
and  I  have  had  an  hour  of  interesting  conversation  respecting  the 
Chinese  patients,  the  difficulty  of  treating  them,  &c. 

Tiiursday,  August  50th.  — I  have  made  a  pleasant  call  at  Rev.  Mr. 
Shunk's,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  As  I  was  quite  weak  and  sick,  with 
nausea,  Mrs.  B.  preferring  to  walk,  I  took  her  chair  a  part  of  the  dis- 
tance in  going,  but  walked  home.  I  met  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor  there.  I 
went  on  board  the  "  Coquette  "  before  breakfast,  and  there  met  Mr. 
Cunningham,  Bishop  Boone,  Mrs.  Syle,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding,  who 
is  going  to  Hong-Kong  to  take  passage  for  America.  He  is  much 
pleased  that  I  am  going  in  the  same  vessel  with  him,  as  he  is  very 
much  out  of  health.  As  the  captain  is  to  drop  down  the  river  to 
Woosung  to-day,  he  desired  me  to  take  a  boat  early  this  eve,  and  meet 
him  on  board,  saying  that  if  I  was  not  there  in  season  he  could  not 
wait  long  for  me. 

At  evening  I  had  my  trunks  packed  and  set  out,  ready  to  start  at 
eleven  o'clock,  but  concluded,  when  the  time  came,  not  to  go,  but  to 
remain  here  a  few  days  longer,  and  then  go  by  the  way  of  Amoy,  and 
see  another  Chinese  city.  I  shall  send  an  apology  to  Captain  P.  at 
Hong-Kong  for  my  non-compliance,  though  I  should  much  prefer  to 
keep  my  word. 

Friday,  August  3lst.  —  This  morning  I  went  into  the  city,  and  con- 
cluded on  some  purchases  at  the  Chinese  shops  ;  but,  after  travelling 
about  till  past  ten,  I  came  home  without  obtaining  a  single  article. 
I  would  have  taken  them,  had  they  not  raised  the  price  to  me,  but 
thought  I  would  not  be  imposed  on  by  them. 

Saturday,  September  1st.  —  In  the  afternoon  I  called  at  Dr.  L.'s  hos- 
pital, and  had  a  little  chat  with  him,  but  saw  nothing  interesting 
among  the  patients.  I  called  upon  Rev.  Mr.  Milne,  who  was  very 
agreeable  and  polite  tome.  We  had  quite  a  pleasant  conversation. 
Mr.  M.  afterwards  called  with  me  on  Rev.  Mr.  Mcdhurst,  where  I 
became  interested  in  conversation  with  him  and  Mrs.  M.,  and  my  call 
was  prolonged  till  a  late  hour  of  the  day.  One  of  the  subjects  of 
most  interest  to  me  was  Java,  where  they  had  been  missionaries  for 
twelve  years,  and  which  country  I  intend  visiting  during  the  year. 
Afterwards  I  made  several  other  visits  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.,  and  at 
evening  called  on  Dr.  Kirk,  where  I  met  a  gentleman  who  was  at 
Ningpoo  just  before  me,  and  who  fully  believes  in  the  Chinese  woman 
with  her  worms,  he  having  had  them  taken  from  his  own  month  while 
tli! ire.  I  remarked  to  him  that  jugglers  could  take  a  live  rabbit  out  of 
his  hat,  and  do  many  other  things  equally  wonderful. 

At  ten  in  the  evening,  not  being  able  to  find  my  boy,  I  walked  alone 
up  to  the  Yanking-paug  (a  little  river)  to  sec  a  Chinese  procession, — 
some  religious  ceremonies.  I  arrived  at  a  temple,  where  I  saw  a  great 
number  of  candles  burning,  lanterns  hung  around,  and  a  number  of 
Chinamen  dressed  in  scarlet  robes,  and  various  fantastic  dresses,  carry- 
ing variegated  lanterns  on  poles,  &c.  1  walked  about,  looking  at  the 
preparations  going  on,  and  observing  the  baud  and  instruments.  They 


310  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

were  forming  and  re-forming,  walking  and  standing  about,  till  I  was 
tired  ;  and,  after  two  hours,  I  left  them  to  march  when  they  might  get 
ready. 

This  is  the  day  set  apart  for  worshipping  and  sacrificing  to  the  de- 
parted spirits  of  their  friends,  and  occurs  once  a  year.  On  this  occasion 
they  burn  great  quantities  of  sycee  paper  (made  to  represent  silver) , 
and  make  various  offerings  of  food. 

Sunday,  September  2d.  — I  attended  the  missionaries'  church  in  the 
city,  Mr.  B.  lending  me  his  chair.  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor  preached.  After 
the  service,  taking  my  boy,  I  walked  about  the  Tea-gardens.  There 
were  many  pictures,  shows,  gambling-tables,  and  jugglers  performing. 
I  stopped  and,  looked  at  a  quack-doctor's  stand,  and  also  that  of 
a  dentist.  Such  a  collection  of  pieces  of  stick,  chips,  barks,  bones, 
horns,  pieces  of  old  skins  with  the  hair  on,  pieces  of  leather,  rusty 
iron,  and  teeth,  the  bones  of  monkeys,  cats  and  other  animal*,  ami 
queer  charms  of  snake-skins,  &c.,  covering  their  tables,  indicated 
what  the  materiel  medico  of  the  lower  class  of  Chinese  was  composed 
of.  Beggars,  —  pitiful  looking  objects,  —  in  great  numbers,  stretched 
out  their  hands  to  me  as  they  lay  on  the  ground.  At  one  place  I  pur- 
chased, for  a  few  cash,  a  paper  of  Chinese  candy,  which  was  hardly 
anything  but  hardened  sugar. 

Dined  with  Mr.  Dallas,  an  English  merchant,  where  I  met  an 
agreeable  party  of  English  gentlemen,  passing  a  portion  of  the  evening 
with  them  very  pleasantly.  While  there,  a  Chinese  runner  came  up 
with  the  overland  mail.  He  presented  an  odd  appearance  coining  into 
the  yard,  running  at  full  speed.  I  believe  that  runners  are  only  em- 
ployed when  there  is  no  vessel  to  take  the  mail.  At  such  times,  if 
there  is  anything  important,  the  different  houses  can  send  by  Chinese 
runners  from  Hong-Kong  through  to  Shanghae  by  land. 

Tuesday,  4th.  —  At  half-past  seven  I  dined  with  Dr.  K.  He  is  a 
single  man,  but  living  in  a  house  large  enough  for  a  palace.  I  there 
met  Messrs.  Strong  and  McKenny,  and  after  dinner  we  had  music. 
These  two  gentlemen  both  played  the  flute;  and,  sending  for  ours,  we 
joined  them,  and  continued  in  an  agreeable  quartet  till  past  twelve. 

Thursday,  Qth.  —  I  dined  with  Mr.  Robertson,  the  English  vice-con- 
sul, at  five  P.  M.,  where  I  met  Mr.  D.,  and  had  a  social  time  till  eight. 
I  then  called  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Louder,  knocking  at  the  gate 
for  a  considerable  time  without  finding  any  one.  I  afterwards  learned 
that  he  had  gone  to  make  a  trip  to  the  Chusan  Islands,  and  the  next 
I  heard  of  him  was  the  sad  news  that  he  was  drowned  while  bathing 
at  the  island  Puto,  one  of  that  group.  Mr.  L.  was  a  minister  of  the 
English  Episcopal  church  at  Shanghae,  and  was  much  respected. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

I  am  told  that  a  large  portion  of  the  "  Great  Wall  "  of  China  is 
now  in  ruins,  and  hardly  deserves  the  name  of  a  wall.  It  is  partially 
fallen  and  crumbled  into  a  mound-like  ridge,  covered  with  grass,  plants, 
and  shrubs.  It  was  built  along  the  northern  frontier  of  China,  for 
the  purpose  of  keeping  out  the  Tartars,  and  was  fifteen  hundred  miles 


SIIANGI1AE. MURDEH   OF   PORTUGUESE   GOVERNOR.  811 

long,  extending  over  mountains,  rivers,  and  through  valleys.  It  was 
from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  high,  about  fifteen  feet  broad  at  the  top,  and 
could  be  travelled  on  by  six  horses  abreast.  It  was  made  of  two  par- 
allel walls  of  brick  or  stone,  and  filled  up  between  with  earth  and 
rubbish  of  every  kind.  Towers,  for  guard-stations,  with  a  passage-way 
through  them,  were  erected  on  it  every  few  hundred  feet.  The  wall 
occupied  several  years  in  building,  and  the  labor  was  forced  from  the 
people,  who  were  only  allowed  their  food  for  their  services. 

LETTER   TO    A    SISTER-IN-LAW. 

Shanghae,  China,  Sept.  1th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  E.  C.  B. :  It  is  quite  a  warm  day,  and,  as  the 
mail  closes  this  afternoon,  I  have  commenced  this  epistle  to  you  ;  but 
whether  I  shall  have  the  fortitude  to  finish  in  season,  or  whether  I 
shall  be  prevented  so  doing  by  other  circumstances,  remains  to  be 
seen.  Mrs.  B.,  with  railroad  speed,  is  writing  a  number  of  letters  to 
her  friends  at  home,  and  I  do  not  know  but  my  own  motive-power  is 
thus  stimulated  into  action.  Your  remark  is  very  true.  It  is  not 
unfrequent  that  I  am  reminded  of  the  uncertainty  of  life  by  the  num- 
bers of  accidents  occurring  around  mo.  One  person  is  taken  away  by 
a  sun-stroke  ;  another  is  capsized  in  a  boat,  and  drowned  ;  another  falls 
overboard  at  sea,  and  is  lost  ;  another  has  a  sudden  attack  of  chol- 
era, and  another  is  killed  by  pirates,  &c.  At  home  or  abroad  we  are 
more  or  less  exposed,  and  the  only  way  to  live  is  to  be  ever  ready  to  die. 

The  Portuguese  Governor  Amaral,  of  Macao,  has  lately  been  assas- 
sinated in  the  most  barbarous  manner.  He  was  riding  out  horseback, 
in  daylight,  accompanied  by  his  aid-de-camp.  When  at  some  dis- 
tance from  his  house,  a  boy  stepped  up  and  presented  him  with  a 
iliw.-r,  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  pole.  He  took  the  flower,  and  the 
Chinese  boy  began  to  strike  him  in  the  face  with  the  pole.  While  his 
attention  was  thus  diverted,  six  Chinese  men  sprang  upon  him,  run- 
ning him  through  with  their  spears,  and  pulling  him  from  his  horse. 
Having  but  one  arm,  he  could  not  make  much  resistance  ;  and  they 
dissevered  his  head  and  remaining  hand,  and  fled,  carrying  these  away 
with  them.  I  know  not  what  they  did  with  the  aid,  nor  whether  or 
how  he  escaped. 

The  body  of  the  governor  was  discovered  shortly  after,  and  conveyed 
home. 

The  English  governor  at  Hong-Kong  immediately  sent  over  two 
men-of-war  to  their  assistance  at  Macao,  and  the  "  Plymouth,"  an 
American  man-of-war,  was  ordered  down,  by  Commodore  Geisinger, 
from  Whampoa.  The  "  Dolphin  "  being  now  there,  they  will,  with 
these,  have  force  sufficient  to  inflict  punishment,  or  to  give  protection 
to  the  city. 

It  is  said  that  the  Chinese  governor  "  Su,"  of  Canton,  had  offered 
a  large  reward  for  the  head  of  Gov.  Amaral ;  and,  if  true,  it  is  very 


312  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

probable  that  the  head  was  in  his   possession   the  next  day  after  the 
occurrence,  though  nothing  is  positively  known  on  the  subject. 

I  have  not  yet  had  occasion  to  change  my  opinion  in  regard  to  the 
character  of  the  Chinese.  I  believe  they  are  generally  a  .set  of  rogues, 
from  the  prowling  thief,  up  through  the  ten  grades  of  mandarins,  to 
the  emperor  himself.  There  are,  however,  honorable  exceptions, 
and  som:)  who  have  excellent  qualities.  I  wonder  what  old  Shorn 
would  say  if  he  could  see  himself  the  father  of  two  hundred  millions 
of  such  people  as  these  ! 

I  have  not  decided  that  a  heathen  is  consequently  devoid  of  all 
good  principle.  But  it  is  certain  that  they  are  all  heathen  here,  and, 
if  they  have  any  principle,  that  they  have  no  very  good  principles. 
They  He,  steal  and  cheat,  whenever  they  have  an  opportunity  to  make 
anything  by  it,  and  when  they  think  they  will  not  be  discovered.  This 
they  do  as  if  it  was  their  right.  They  have  no  moral  obligation,  nor 
any  obligation  to  any  one,  except  to  the  government,  and  to  those  who 
have  power  sufficient  to  control  them  —  and  to  these  only  at  the  time. 

They  appear  to  consider  it  an  excellent  trait  of  character  to  have 
ability  to  cheat,  or  in  any  way  to  take  advantage  of  foreigners.  He 
that  can  do  this  the  most  adroitly  and  successfully  is  the  most  accom- 
plished. Whenever  a  foreigner  goes  to  purchase  anything,  they  ask 
him  more  than  they  would  a  Chinaman,  and  sometimes  three  or  four 
times  as  much  ;  and  though  you  may  get  an  article  for  one  third  or 
half  of  what  they  at  first  ask  for  it,  you  can  never  obtain  it  so  low  as 
the  Chinese  would  the  same  article. 

The  shopkeepers  pay  the  ' '  boys ' '  for  bringing  customers  to  their 
shops,  unbeknown  to  the  foreigner.  My  boy  has  sometimes  been  to 
shops  the  next  day  and  got  pay  for  my  having  purchased  goods  there. 
Sometimes  he  has  stated  the  price  of  articles  as  more  than  that  named 
by  the  shopkeeper,  and  kept  the  difference  in  price  himself,  thus 
making  a  profit  from  both  of  us.  The  boy  who  purchases  provisions 
for  a  family  will  get  a  sum  from  the  shopkeeper  for  giving  him  the 
custom,  and  then  make  a  percentage  on  the  family  as  large  as  he  finds 
that  they  can  be  imposed  on.  The  establishment  of  a  single  gentle- 
man of  my  acquaintance  here  cost  him  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars a  month  for  his  provisions  until  he  turned  away  the  boy  from  his 
services,  and  then  his  expenses  were  only  seventy-five  dollars  a  month. 
With  regards  to  all,  truly, 

B.  L.  B. 


SHANGHAE.  —  LETTER   TO   A   SISTER.  —  TEA   SHIPMENT.       313 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

LETTER    TO   A    SISTER. TEA    SHIPMENT. CHINESE   PROMISES.  —  CHINESE 

BOATMEN.  SERVANTS,  ETC.  LETTER   TO   A    BROTHER.  DEPARTURE 

FROM    SHANGHAE.  ARRIVAL   AT   AMOY. 

LETTER  TO   SISTER   L. 

Shanghae,  Sat.,  Sept.  8th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  could  easily  imagine  myself  at  home  and 
among  you  all,  this  evening.  How  very  pleasant  it  is  so  to  spend  an 
evening  occasionally  that  home  is  brought  near,  and  I  am  reminded 
of  you  all  as  if  you  were  really  here  ! 

At  SOTen  this  evening  I  went  out  to  dine  with  Mr.  Alcock,  one  of 
the  most  agreeable  of  men.  He  was  formerly  a  surgeon  in  the  British 
navy,  and,  having  resigned  from  ill  health,  is  here  as  the  English 
consul.  I  met  the  several  members  of  his  family  at  his  house,  also 
Mr.  Fortune,  a  botanist,  —  all  intelligent  and  entertaining,  and  quite 
unassuming.  After  tea  we  had  music  from  the  piano  by  Miss  B., 
and  then  a  duet  from  her  and  Mrs.  A.,  and  a  trio  in  which  I  was  the 
third  performer.  I  called  after  this  at  Mr.  Robinson's,  and  was  quite 
surprisjd  to  find  that  the  hour  of  eleven  had  arrived,  thinking  that 
I  was  making  a  nine  o'clock  call.  It  is  now  past  twelve,  and  I  will 
write  no  more  to-night. 

Friday,  Sept.  14/A.  — I  have  called  upon  Mr.  Carter,  at  Mr.  Gris- 
wold's,  and  found  them  in  the  storehouse  arranging  a  cargo  of  tea  for 
Mr.  C.'s  vessel,  the  "  Hamburg."  The  boxes  of  tea  were  piled  up 
on  both  sides,  with  little  streets  leading  through  them.  A  number 
of  Chinese  were  busily  engaged  in  their  various  occupations  on  the 
chests,  preparing  them  for  shipment.  One  was  labelling,  another 
covering,  numbering,  varnishing,  &c.  I  asked  Mr.  G.  if  there  was 
tea  enough  in  sight  to  fill  the  vessel,  and  he  answered,  "  About  one 
twenty-sixth  part." 

Sunday,  Sept.  l(j(h.  —  This  evening  I  dined  with  Mr.  Dallas,  and 
tiu'iv  nu't  Mr.  Jardine  and  several  pleasant  and  sociable  English 
jr  'iitlemen.  After  dinner,  which  was  about  nine,  all  repaired  to  the 
front  part  of  the  house,  and  enjoyed  the  cool  air  by  a  promenade  on 
the  veranda.  I  am  surprised  to  find  the  English  people  in  China  so 
affable  and  sociable.  I  had  believed  them  cold,  pompous,  overbear- 
ing, inorosa,  and  unsociable  ;  and  they  are  nationally  moro  reserved 
than  the  Americans ;  but,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  there  is 
among  them,  in  these  parts,  no  lack  of  warm,  hospitable,  generous 
and  kind-hearted  feeling. 

Tuesday,  Sepl.  ISth.  —  Went  on  board  several  vessels  in  the  harbor 
to  make  inquiries  and  engage  a  passage  to  Amoy,  there  being  a  num- 
ber of  vessels  soon  to  sail.  One  captain  could  not  to-day  tell  mo 
27 


314  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

what  would  be  his  accomnfodations,  or  the  fare.  Another  would 
sail  in  three  weeks,  and  the  fare  would  be  a  hundred  dullars. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  l(Jth. —  Towards  evening  I  took  my  boy  and 
went  to  dino  with  Mr.  Parish,  an  English  friend,  who  lives  in  the 
city,  within  the  Avails,  and  is  connected  with  the  English  consulate. 
lie  lives  in  a  Chinese  house,  with  Chinese  furniture,  Chinese  servants, 
and  quite  alone.  I  spent  a  pleasant  evening,  and  returned  at  ten. 
On  the  way  the  barefooted  coolies  carried  the  chair  nearly  on  a  trot, 
and  my  boy,  not  wishing  to  be  left  behind,  tried  to  keep  up.  After 
half  a  mile  of  heat,  exertion  and  perspiration,  in  his  big,  clumsy  shoes, 
and  long,  troublesome  frock,  he  fell  behind,  evidently  in  disgust,  and 
returned  home  about  half  an  hour  after  us. 

Friday,  Sept.  21st.  —  I  have  never  known  a  Chinaman  to  keep  his 
appointment.  Three  days  ago  I  went  into  the  city  and  purchased  a 
beautiful  Japanese  cabinet,  which  was  promised  to  be  sent  here  this 
morning  at  half-past  eight,  but  did  not  come  at  all.  My  tailor  was 
also  to  have  been  here  at  nine,  and  he  did  not  come.  1  have  many 
times,  since  being  here,  had  articles  made,  altered  and  repaired,  and 
have  made  many  appointments  with  the  Chinese,  but  they  have  never 
punctually  fulfilled  one  of  them.  They  are  always  one,  two,  or 
more  days  after  the  time,  and  are  sure  to  come  at  hours  when  I  am 
engaged.  I  have  impressed  my  desire  of  punctuality  on  them,  telling 
them,  not  to  promise  if  they  could  not  perform,  but  to  extend  the 
time.  Sometimes  they  have  deferred  it  for  a  week  ;  but,  in  all 
the  different  ways  that  I  could  manage,  I  have  never  had  a  China- 
man keep  his  engagement.  Only  one  with  whom  I  have  made  an 
appointment  caina  the  same  day,  and  he  was  three  hours  after  the 
time. 

My  Japan  case  has  been  brought  to-day  ;  my  tailor  also  came  to- 
day, but  a  day  after  the  time.  Some  others  have  fulfilled  engagements 
in  like  manner,  which  becomes  annoying  when  one  expects  to  leave 
at  a  certain  time. 

Saturday,  Sept.  lid.  —  "Walked  down  to  the  Bunn  to  ascertain  if 
the  "Alexander  Johnson  "  had  gone  ;  and,  finding  that  the  vessel  had 
not  sailed,  I  wrote  to  the  captain,  engaging  my  passage  to  Amoy.  The 
vcss  -1  had  dropped  down  the  stream,  and  is  to  leave  Woosung  on 
Monday  next. 

Sunday,  Sept.  23d. — My  vessel  has  not  yet  gone,  and  I  shall 
probably  go  down  to  Woosung  to-night,  and  go  on  board  there. 

I  called  on  Mr.  Williams  and  others,  this  forenoon,  and  then 
walked  into  the  city,  within  the  walls,  Mr.  Clark  accompanying  me. 
We  went  into  the  Tea-garden,  stopping  to  see  some  picture  exhibi- 
tions, and  passing  through  some  of  the  principal  streets,  out  to  the 
river.  Seeing  there  a  large  junk,  the  largest  among  hundreds  in  the 
vicinity,  and  having  never  visited  one,  we  took  a  small  boat  and  went 
on  board.  It  had  lately  returned  from  Siam.  The  supercargo  was 
on  board,  and  received  us  very  politely,  although  he  could  say  noth- 
ing to  us,  nor  we  anything  to  him.  The  arrangements  within  were 
very  rude,  and  open,  like  a  cradla.  The  main-mast  was  twelve  feet 
in  circumference  where  it  entered  the  deck,  and,  I  should  judge,  was 


CHINESE   BOATMEN.  815 

near  a  hundred  fact  high  ;  made  of  one  solid  piece  of  teak-wood, 
brought  from  Singapore. 

They  adopt  very  tew  of  our  improvements,  and  thus  require  many 
more  man  than  we  do  to  man  a  sailing  craft.  The  craw  of  tiiis  vessel 
numbered  ninety-two,  thirty-two  of  whom  are  required  to  manage 
their  broad  and  clumsy  helm. 

On  leaving  the  junk  I  ascertained  that  I  had  but  nins  cash  loft  in 
my  pocket  to  pay  our  boatman  ;  and  I  feared  he  would  think,  with- 
out a  doubt,  taat  I  intended  to  cheat  him.  As  we  came  to  the  shore 
I  gave  him  what  cash  I  had,  and  told  him  to  go  to  the  house  with 
me  and  I  would  pay  him  in  full ;  but,  disbelieving  me,  he  began  to 
work  his  boat  off,  to  prevent  our  landing.  Mr.  C.  observed  his  inten- 
tion, and  sprang  ashore.  I  tried  to  follow  the  example,  but  before  I 
could  reach  the  other  end  of  the  boat  we  were  twenty  or  thirty  feet 
away.  Finally,  seeing  that  things  were  assuming  a  grave  aspect, 
and  not  fancying  to  be  at  the  disposition  of  a  Chinese  boatman,  I 
made  a  desperate  leap  towards  another  boat,  about  ten  feet  distant, 
on  one  side,  and,  nearly  pitching  the  boatman  overboard,  barely  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  it.  Tiien,  jumping  and  stepping  from  boat  to  boat, 
I  reached  the  shore  without  difficulty.  We  made  motions  to  the 
boatman  to  follow  us  home,  and  assured  him  that  then  we  would  give 
him  more;  but  he  evidently  regarded  us  as  trying  to  humbug  him, 
and,  giving  a  shout  of  indignation,  he  pushed  off  from  the  shore.  A 
hundred  copper  cash  would  have  paid  him  sufficiently  well,  and  from 
five  to  fifteen  would  have  been  the  payment  given  by  a  Chinaman  for 
the  same  service. 

The  boatmen  generally  will  go  to  one's  house  to  get  their  fare.  It 
is  probable  that  misunderstanding  is  the  cause  of  most  of  the  disa- 
greements between  the  Chinese  and  foreigners  ;  and  those,  perhaps, 
often  begin  from  as  slight  causes  as  the  one  here  mentioned. 

We  walked  rapidly  home,  as  I  had  an  engagement  to  dine  with  Mr. 
Walcott.  In  a  lew  minutes  I  was  dressed,  walked  down  to  the  ferry, 
crossed  to  the  other  side,  walked  to  the  house,  a  short  distance,  and 
there  I  met  several  friends  with  Mr.  W.  After  dining,  we  seated 
ourselves  in  the  veranda,  a  line  cool  breeze  coming  through  the  build- 
ing, and,  looking  out  over  the  river,  we  enjoyed  a  delightful  view  of 
the  pretty  scenery  around.  I  strolled  in  the  garden  with  Mr.  Carter, 
and  partook  of  ripe  figs  from  the  trees,  which  were  very  nice. 
They  were  the  first,  fresh  from  the  tree,  that  I  had  ever  tasted  or 
seen.  But  I  like  them  best  when  dried.  We  all  returned  in  Mr. 
W.'s  boat ;  and,  afterwards,  I  walked  into  the  country  with  Mr.  C., 
through  the  rice-fields  and  among  the  tombs.  There  was  no  church 
open  in  the  city  to-day,  but  services  were  held  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Loc-khart.  Many  of  the  missionaries  at  this  time  are  sick,  and  unable 
to  go  out. 

At  the  Tea-gardens  this  morning  were  some  gymnastic  performance*, 
by  a  little  girl  and  her  mother,  which  were  very  good  ;  but,  appar- 
ently not  getting  sufficient  pay,  they  did  not  continue  the  exhibition 
long.  The  Chinese  girl  was  very  supple,  bending  herself  into  all 
eorta  of  shapes.  She  was  dresaad  in  boy's  clothing,  and  would  bead 


316  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

backwards,  touch  her  head,  and,  rolling  over  backwards  like  a  hoop, 
would  come  up  holding  her  head  between  her  feet  and  hands.  She 
performed  quite  a  variety  of  wonderful  feats. 

Monday,  Sept.  2-ith.  —  I  did  not  retire  to  rest  till  past  three  this 
morning,  and  rose  at  six.  I  took  a  hasty  breakfast  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  B.,  bade  them  "  good-by  "  for  the  last  time  in  China,  made 
several  calls  on  friends,  and  at  nine  was  off  with  Captain  Endicott 
for  Woosung.  We  arrived  on  board  of  his  vessel  at  half-past  elwn 
A.M.,  and  dined  at  seven  p.  M.  ;  afterwards,  went  on  board  of  Captain 
Iloundy's  vessel  to  tea,  and,  returning,  sat  and  chatted  on  deck  with 
Captain  E.  till  twelve,  enjoying  a  beautiful  moonlight  evening. 

1  think  that  I  disappointed  my  boy,  this  morning,  when  I  was  com- 
pleting my  packing.  A  part  of  my  lock  all  at  once  disappeared. 
iiu  was  present,  and  pretended  to  look  for  it  ;  but  I  directly  took 
another  lock  which  I  had,  and  placed  it  on  the  trunk.  He  appeared 
not  pleased  at  this,  and  not  a  little  disconcerted.  I  believe  he  in- 
tended to  have  had  a  chance  at  the  trunk  while  it  was  unlocked,  and 
I  should  be  away  for  another  lock.  He  knew  that  I  kept  my  money 
there,  and  some  other  articles  of  value  ;  and  often,  when  it  was  open 
for  a  few  minutes,  he  would  have  some  pretext  to  look  after  my 
clothing,  or  to  arrange  it  a  little  better  ;  but  this  I  would  never 
allow  him  to  do.  I  have  already  missed  a  number  of  articles,  but  I 
know  not  who  to  blame,  not  knowing  when  they  were  taken,  nor 
where  they  have  gone  to.  The  boys  are  responsible  for  anything  that 
is  missing  ;  and  they,  probably,  have  to  pay  for  many  things  which 
they  do  not  losj  ;  but,  if  I  do  not  know  that  they  have  taken  an  article, 
I  do  not  like  to  charge  them  with  it.  At  every  place  I  make  a  changa 
a  few  articles  get  out  of  the  way,  and  are  never  seen  again. 

Yours,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   A   BROTHER. 

Yang-tze-kiang  River  \  opposite  Woosung,  Sept.  25th. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHER  S.  :  I  am  now  about  leaving  this  part  of 
China,  and,  if  you  will  excuse  my  journalizing,  I  will  address  this 
portion  of  it  to  you.  I  sent  my  boy  this  morning  back  to  Sbanghae 
by  Captain  Endicott,  as  he  was  going  up  with  his  boat,  so  that  my 
last  duties  towards  him,  I  beliove,  are  performed.  I  did  not  let  him 
know,  till  this  morning,  but  that  I  intended  to  return  to  Shanghae  ; 
and  am  afraid  I  did  not  give  him  sufficient  opportunity  to  feel  the 
'^ual  interest  in  my  clothes,  and  other  things,  and  to  take 


my  clothes,  and  other  things,  and  to  take  out  some 
!"vw  mementojs  for  'himself,  before  my  departure.  I  may,  however, 
find  he  has  anticipated  me,  and  already  performed  that  duty  for 
I'iinself,  yet,  as  has  been  the  case  before  this. 

This  evening  finds  me  at  anchor,  near  the  bar,  about  thirty  mil°s 
down  the  river.  One  Chinese  junk  is  also  at  anchor  near  us.  The 
pilot  and  Captain  B.  left  us  about  twelve  M.,  and  we  came  to  anchor 
at  five.  Captain  T.  says  that  he  does  not  like  the  risk  of  going  over 
the  bar  at  night,  but  will  wait  till  morning.  Captain  K.  sent  his 
first  officer  over,  who  took  me  to  his  vessel.  At  breakfast  we  had 


ARRIVAL    AT   AMOY.  317 

some  beef-steak,  which  reminded  me  of  America,  though  the  beef  ia 
generally  rather  poor  in  China. 

The  "  Alexander  Johnson  "  having  passed  us,  dropping  down  the 
stream,  Captain  R.  sent  off  to  know  when  she  would  sail.  Word 
came  that  they  only  waited  for  mo  to  go  on  board,  and  I  hurried 
oft'  directly.  Captain  R.  put  up  a  few  bottles  of  beer,  &c.,  for  me, 
and  ssnt  Mr.  Norton  with  me  on  board.  Six  men  pulled  at  the  oars, 
and  in  an  hour  we  were  on  board  the  vessel. 

I  shall  remember,  with  much  pleasure,  all  the  friends  at  Shanghae 
and  Woosung  ;  for  I  have  received  much  hospitality  and  kindness 
from  them. 

We  have  had  a  fair  wind  to  this  place.  The  bed  of  the  river  is  so 
treacherous  in  its  character  that  a  man  has  to  be  kept  continually  at 
the  side  of  the  vessel,  every  minute  casting  the  lead. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  2oth.  —  We  were  under  way  about  nine  A.  M., 
and  soon  after  passed  Qutxlaff'fl  Island  on  our  right.  The  Saddle  group 
were  also  in  the  same  direction ;  but  the  current  took  us  into  their 
midst.  Having  some  disagreeable  sensations  of  giddiness  and  sea- 
sickness, I  lay  down  and  kept  still  must  of  the  day. 

Captain  T.  is  a  very  pleasant  man.  He  sailed  from  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, with  a  cargo,  to  China  ;  and  now  he  is  picking  up  freight  wher- 
ever he  may  find  it.  He  has  a  cargo  of  bean-cake  to  take  down  the 
coast.  This  is  made  from  the  refuse  of  pea-nuts,  after  the  oil  has  been 
expressed,  into  large  cheese-like  cakes,  and  is  usjd  as  feed  for  cattle. 

Friday,  Sept.  2$t/i.  — This  evening  [  have  had  a  little  chat  with  a 
Chinaman  passenger,  by  whom  the  cargo  is  owned.  He  is  wealthy, 
and  speaks  a  very  few  words  of  English.  There  are  on  board  a  dozen 
other  Ciiines3  passengers.  One  of  them,  from  Singapore,  speaks  Eng- 
lish very  well.  He  had  been  to  the  missionary  school  there  for  ten 
years,  when,  having  a  good  knowledge  of  English,  he  commenced 
trading  for  himself.  Some  of  the  Chinese  learn  English  in  the  schools 
of  the  missionaries,  and  afterwards  turn  it  to  their  own  advantage  for 
trading  purposes,  which  in  the  Chinese  character  to  me  seems  natural. 

Sunday,  Sept.  '60th.  —  About  noon  we  could  discern  the  high  lands 
on  the  west  coast  of  Formosa,  about  fifty  miles  to  the  eastward  of  us. 
They  towered  far  above  the  clouds,  which  was  evidence  of  their  great 
elevation.  They  were  nearly  as  high  above  the  clouds  as  the  clouds 
were  above  the  sea.  Several  islands  appeared  on  our  starboard,  their 
blue  tops  being  just  visible  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 

Towards  evening  I  had  a  conversation  with  the  Chinaman  from 
Singapore.  Knowing  the  languages,  he  is  able  to  be  what  some  term 
a  "  go-between  "  for  foreigners  and  Chinese  ;  and  this,  in  the  way  of 
business,  is  a  very  lucrative  position.  He  remarked  to  me, 

"  S'pose  Chinaman  speak  English,  can  make  plenty  money,  plenty." 

October  1st.  —  We  arrived  at  Amoy  at  sundown,  after  a  passage  of 
six  days  from  Shanghae.  As  we  enter  the  harbor,  which  lies  in  sev- 
eral miles  from  the  coast,  the  country  presents  a  very  rough  appear- 
ance, the  high  land  on  each  side  being  covered  with  rocks,  tumbled 
one  on  the  other  in  every  possible  manner. 

Several  gentlemen  among  the  merchants  camo  on  board  for  their 
27* 


318  CHINA    AND    MAXILLA. 

letters.  At  evening  I  went  on  shore,  and  culled  to  deliver  my  lettei 
of  introduction  to  Mr.  Tait ;  but  he  was  out.  I  met  there  a  gentle- 
man, whom,  in  conversation,  I  found  to  ho  Dr.  Winchester,  physician 
to  the  English  consulate  ;  and  I  delivered  a  letter  which  I  had  brought 
to  him.  lie  called  with  me,  and  introduced  me  to  Dr.  Hyslop,  an  Eng- 
lish missionary-physician.  Returning,  we  saw  Mr.  T.,  who  invited 
me  to  stop  with  him  while  I  remain.  Not  intending  to  be  in  Amoy 
but  a  few  days,  yet  as  I  may  wish  to  prolong  the  time,  and  fearing 
to  incommode,  I  did  not  like  to  accept  this  kindness  ;  but  Mr.  T. 
insisting,  I  was  induced  to  remain.  Mr.  Bradley,  who  has  just  entered 
on  his  duties  as  American  consul,  is  in  partnership  with  Mr.  T.  ;  but 
having  gone  to  Hong-Kong,  I  did  not  see  him. 

This  evening,  as  1  took  a  little  walk,  I  encountered  a  "  sing-song  " 
near  by.  It  was  in  the  middle  of  a  street,  quite  blocking  it  up.  The 
actors  appeared  in  high-colored,  fantastic  dresses,  and,  for  music, 
made  a  great  medley  of  noises,  and  disagreeable  squalling  sound?. 
Being  alone,  and  in  the  night,  I  did  not  stop  long,  nor  extend  my 
walk.  Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

VISITS   AT   AMOY.  —  SAIL  IX   THE   HARBOR.  —  VISIT   AT   THE   ENGLISH   COX- 
SCLATE. CHIXESE    ADMIRAL   AND   PIRATES.  —  TEMPLES    AT    AMOY. 

TUESDAY,  Oct.  2d.  —  After  breakfast  I  went  on  board  the  vessel  and 
brought  my  baggage  on  shore.  During  the  forenoon  I  went  up  to  the 
British  consulate's,  —  Mr.  Tait  lending  me  his  chair,  —  and  visited 
Dr.  W.,  remaining  till  two  p.  M.,  and  taking  tiffin.  I  then  hastened 
to  Dr.  llyslop's,  to  go  with  him  on  board  the  "  Dart,"  to  see  Capt. 
Porter.  Capt.  P.  put  in  here  on  account  of  sickness,  on  his  voyage 
down  from  Shanghae  to  Hong-Kong  ;  and  now,  on  his  way  up,  lie  is 
here  again  for  the  same  cause. 

Having  dined  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  H.,  we  embarked  on  board  a  large 
Chinese  sail-boat.  The  "  Dart  "  lies  down  the  harbor  at  the  "  islands," 
a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles.  The  head  boatman  did  not  wish  to 
start  until  he  had  taken  his  chow-chow  ;  and,  though  it  was  growing 
dark  and  the  weather  looked  squally,  he  commenced  on  his  rice  ;  but 
Mr.  T.,  who  went  to  see  us  safely  off,  poked  the  old  fellow  so  many 
times  in  the  side  with  his  cane,  hurrying  him,  at  the  same  time,  with 
'*  King  kin  !"  (come,  bo  off !)  that  ho  was  actually  obliged  to  stir  about 


COWARDICE   OP   CHINESE   SAILORS.  319 

in  self-defence.  He  put  his  bowl  of  rice  aside  in  disgust  ;  and,  getting 
the  boat  in  order,  and  his  men  on  board,  he  hoisted  his  sails,  and  we 
were  fairly  away. 

It  was  nearly  dark,  but  we  sped  along  for  the  first  two  or  three 
miles,  before  a  good  breeze,  very  finely.  Then  the  wind  began  to  blow 
stronger  and  stronger,  and  the  waves  to  rise  higher  and  higher.  We 
had  three  Chinese  sailors  on  board,  whose  flimsy  hearts  could  be  known 
by  the  fear  written  on  their  faces,  and  they  began  to  talk  in  a  low 
voice  with  each  other.  Dr.  II.  caught  the  words  "  going  back,"  and 
told  them  that  we  would  listen  to  nothing  of  that  kind,  and  that  they 
must  keep  on.  They  went  on,  tacking  against  the  wind  and  a  hard 
sea.  The  Avaves  continued  to  rise,  and  the  Chinamen  said  that  we 
could  not  go  —  there  was  too  much  wind,  too  much  sea,  and  too  much 
of  everything  bad. 

The  boat  was  pitching  considerably,  and  sometimes  it  seemed  as  if 
she  was  almost  perpendicular  on  her  stern.  The  sea  occasionally 
dashed  over  us,  and  we  had  to  sit  with  our  legs  hanging  down  in  the 
scuttle-hole  of  the  deck,  to  avoid  being  shaken  off.  Dr.  II.  asked  me 
if  I  thought  we  had  better  proceed.  I  answered  him  that,  as  Capt. 
P.  was  dangerously  ill,  and  as  the  sea  did  not  break  constantly  or 
entirely  over  us,  I  thought  we  had  better  keep  on  ;  and,  besides  that, 
we  had  already  made  half  the  distance.  Still  the  old  Chinaman  per- 
sisted in  saying  that  we  could  not  go,  we  should  be  drowned,  &c.  Our 
boat  danced  like  an  eggshell,  and  the  spray  at  times  completely  buried 
it ;  so  that,  for  a  few  moments,  we  would  hardly  know  whether  we 
•were  in  the  water  or  above  it.  Still  we  urged  him  on,  and  told  him  that 
if  he  did  not  proceed  we  would  not  pay  him  one  cash  of  money;  when 
he  concluded  to  keep  on.  With  the  wind  and  sea  ahead,  and  the  air 
filled  with  spray  and  water,  our  progress  was  slow  ;  and  he  finally  said 
that  he  cared  not  for  his  pay,  that  it  would  do  no  good  to  a  drowned 
man,  and  that  we  must  go  back.  It  was  true  that  the  boat  was  twist- 
ing and  knocking  about  a  good  deal,  and  occasionally  was  thrown 
nearly  on  her  side,  and  the  sea  did  look  a  little  fearful  ;  but,  knowing 
the  small  amount  of  courage  they  possess  in  times  of  little  or  no  dan- 
ger, we  urged  them  on,  telling  them  that  we  should  soon  reach  tho 
vessel. 

At  length,  when  we  thought  they  were  making  a  tack  as  usual,  wo 
K>u iid  ourselves  nearing  Amoy  again,  and  there  was  no  persuading 
them  to  a  different  course  :  they  had  turned  about,  and  were  returning 
home.  We  landed,  and  waited  to  make  the  trial  again.  As  soon  as 


320  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

the  tide  turned  in  our  favor,  Mr.  T.  gave  us  his  large  boat,  with  a 
number  of  Cliinesa  Bailors,  and,  after  a  blustering  time,  we  reached 
the  "  Dart  "  about  twelve  at  night. 

The  sea  was  high,  and  our  boat,  as  we  came  up,  bounded  against 
the  vessel's  side,  somewhat  to  the  alarm  of  those  on  board.  They  at 
first  thought  they  were  being  attacked  by  pirates,  and  would  have 
soon  given  us  a  corresponding  reception,  as  they  already  had  guns  in 
their  hands.  We  found  Capt.  P.  very  sick,  and  remained  with  him 
all  night. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  3d.  —  This  morning  early  Mr.  Potter,  the  first 
officer,  got  the  vessel  under  way,  and  brought  her  up  into  the  har- 
bor, to  a  more  convenient  situation.  -We  came  up  in  her,  taking 
breakfast  on  board,  and  then  went  ashore. 

During  the  forenoon  Dr.  H.  took  me  to  his  hospital,  which  is  a  free 
establishment,  founded  by  the  London  Missionary  Society  for  Chinese 
patients. 

I  then  went  to  Dr.  W.'s  to  spend  the  day,  walking  with  him  to  a 
neighboring  hill,  which  is  quite  high,  and  the  favorite  promenade- 
ground  of  foreigners.  I  dined  at  six  p.  M.,  and  in  the  evening  enjoyed 
conversation  and  music.  Although  a  mile  or  two  to  Mr.  T.'s,  I  in- 
tended to  walk  ;  but  the  doctor  insisted  on  sending  me  by  his  chair  and 
coolies,  which  certainly  was  a  more  comfortable  way. 

LETTER   TO   BROTHER   J. 


/,  Thursday,  Oct.  4th,  18  —  . 

DEAR  BROTHER  J.  :  I  am  now  spending  a  few  days  at  the  English 
consulate,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Layton.  I  went  with  Mrs.  L.  and  looked 
over  their  garden.  They  have  a  romantic  place,  it  being  formerly 
the  residence  of  a  mandarin.  On  one  side  is  a  rock  that  overlooks  the 
garden  and  adjoining  fields.  We  ascended  the  rock,  which  is  very  high 
and  arranged  with  seats,  where  a  party  may  resort  to  sip  their  tea  and 
to  enjoy  the  cool  of  a  hot  summer's  evening. 

Amoy,  Sunday,  Oct.  7th.  —  I  took  a  chair  and  went  up  to  Mr. 
Tait's,  to  attend  church  with  him  ;  but,  finding  him  gone,  I  told 
the  coolies  to  take  me  "  alia  same  piecy  house  that  Mr.  T.  have 
inakee  go  chin-chin  Josh  "  (the  same  church  Mr.  T.  attends).  I  suc- 
ceeded in  making  them  understand  ;  and,  coining  to  the  house,  I  went 
up  stairs  and  found  the  sarvice  half  through.  Rev.  Mr.  Young,  an  Eng- 
lish missionary,  preached  and  conducted  the  singing.  The  meeting 
was  held  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  a  missionary  house,  and  the  audience 
numbered  about  a  dozen. 

I  dined  with  Mr.  T.,  and  afterwards  walked  with  him,  Capt.  Bing 
and  Mr.  Priestuaan,  to  the  flag-staff  on  the  hill.  Thin  placo  is  very 


AMOY. BRITISH    COXSCI/S   RESIDENCE.  321 

sightly,  overlooking  the  city,  harbor,  islands,  and  surrounding  coun- 
try. It  contains  the  telegraphic  house,  and  apparatus  for  signalizing 
vessels,  ili-relmet  Dr.  II.,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.,  who  had  also  come  up 
fur  the  walk  and  to  enjoy  the  fresh  breeze.  I  returned  to  Mr.  T.'s, 
ami,  when  ready  to  go  home  in  the  evening,  the  choir-bearers  had 
!  •  t.  Wing  probably  tired  of  waiting.  I,  however,  procured  others,  and 
\va-=  i-oim-v  ••:  to  th  consulate. 

••tday,  Oct.  8//i.  —  You  may  like  to  know  if  foreigners  get  enough 
i  i  eat  iii  tins  part  of  the  world  ;  and  so  I  will  tell  you  what  we  had 
on  the  dinner-table  this  evening.  We  had  first  soup,  fish  baked,  roast 
.  boiled  mutton,  stewed  beef,  and  several  kinds  of  vegetables ;  then 
u >;  had  puddings,  marmalade,  cheese  and  beer,  plantains,  five  kinds  of 
nats,  persimmons,  guavas,  pumaloes,  four  kinds  of  preserves,  etc., 
uud  the  various  wines  ;  and  lastly  we  had  coffee.  It  was  seven  in  the 
evening  when  we  sat  down  to  dinner.  Mr.  L.  and  I  drank  to  the 
Queen,  and  then  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  etc.  Afterwards 
Mr.  L.  gave  the  health  of  my  father,  to  be  continued  in  his  old  age. 

After  tea,  at  ten,  I  called  at  Dr.  Winchester's,  where  I  met  Mr. 
Jackson,  Mr.  Tait,  and  Mr.  Backhouse.  The  doctor,  Mr.  B.  and  my- 
self, remained  after  the  others  had  left,  in  the  veranda,  enjoying  a 
quiet  chat.  When  I  left,  which  was  past  twelve,  the  moon  shone 
brightly  overhead,  lighting  up  the  whole  interior  of  the  court.  At- 
tracted by  its  silvery  appearance,  the  cool  air,  and  the  quiet  and  death- 
like stillness,  I  took  a  seat  on  the  stone  steps,  and  enjoyed  the 
tranquillity  of  the  place  alone.  Completely  shut  out  from  the  street, — 
for  the  doors  at  the  bottom  of  the  court  were  closed,  —  the  buildings 
seemed  like  a  kind  of  palace.  I  am  told  that  it  was  formerly  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Chinese  governor  of  this  province  ;  and  everything  is  laid 
out,  handsomely  arranged,  befitting  his  station.  Before  me,  at  tho 
head  of  the  court,  Homo  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  higher  than  the  others, 
was  the  large  building  of  Mr.  L.,  the  consul,  with  long  stone  steps  in 
front ;  on  the  left,  thosj  of  Dr.  Winchester  and  Mr.  Morrison,  the  in- 
terpreter ;  and  on  the  right,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Backhouse,  the  vice- 
consul —  the  court  containing  the  buildings  of  the  consulate  only. 
A  pretty  tree,  heavily  laden  with  pumaloes,  as  large  as  Dutch 
cheeses,  ornaments  the  background.  Mrs.  L.  displays  considerable 
taste  in  the  arrangement  of  the  house  inside.  The  furniture  is  hand- 
Homo,  with  rich  carpets  ;  and  the  rooms  are  decorated  with  English 
pictures  and  Chinese  curiosities.  I  have  learned  to-day  that  it  is 
feared  the  "  Coquette,"  Capt.  Prescott,  is  lost. 

Friday,  Oct.  l'2lh.  —  I  have  now  returned  to  Mr.  T.'s  to  make  it 
my  home  again.  Spent  the  day  and  evening  at  Dr.  Hyslop's.  After 
dining,  we  all  went  out,  taking  a  sail  in  the  harbor.  The  wind 
hli'w  quit;;  strong,  with  considerable  sea,  alarming  Mrs.  II.,  mi') 
of  t!it:  party,  much  for  our  safety  ;  but  we  returned  at  dark  without 
accident.  On  returning,  I  joined  Dr.  II.  with  the  flute  to  somo 
music. 

Saturday,  Oct.  13/7?.  — Dined  at  Rev.  Mr.  Young's,  and  made,  I  be- 
lieve, the  most  of  my  meal  oa  plum-pudding  find  plum-cake,  which 
much  reminded  me  of  home. 


322  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

The  mandarins  were  in  a  state  of  much  alarm  to-day,  caused  by  a  re- 
port that  a  large  fleet  of  pirates  were  on  the  way  to  attack  Amoy.  The 
admiral,  with  his  fleet  of  war-junks,  left  this  morning  to  go  out  after 
them.  I  have  very  little  faith  that  they  will  do  anything  towards  cap- 
turing them.  '  We  probably  shall  hear  that  they  saw  them,  fired  at 
them  from  a  distance,  and  turned  and  ran  into  the  harbor  again. 

Sunday,  Oct.  14th.  —  Mr.  T.  called  me  up  this  morning  at  half- 
past  six,  to  join  him  in  a  walk  up  to  the  telegraph  station,  to  ascertain 
what  vessel  is  in  sight,  one  having  beeu  telegraphed.  We  learned  that 
it  is  the  "  Widgeon." 

After  breakfast,  Mr.  T.  went  off  to  the  coming  vessel  and  obtained 
the  letters.  Mr.  Bradley,  the  American  consul,  accompanied  him 
back.  He  had  been  twenty  days  in  coming  up  from  Ilong-Kong, 
having  to  beat  against  a  head  wind.  The  passage  is  often  made  in 
three  days,  and  often  in  less  time,  with  a  fair  wind.  The  rigging  of 
the  vessel  was  considerably  shattered  by  the  gales  she  had  encoun- 
tered. 

The  letters  were  all  turned  on  to  the  table,  but  not  one  appeared 
for  me.  Fourteen  days  more,  and  it  will  be  a  year  since  my  latest  dates 
from  home  were  received.  I  was  considerably  disappointed  ;  but,  on 
examining  my  journal  records,  I  find  that  my  letter  directing  packages 
for  me  to  be  sent  here  could  not  have  reached  Hong-Kong  in  season  to 
expect  letters  by  this  vessel. 

Mr.  Bradley  dined  with  us.  He  says  that  the  typhoon  of  the  15th 
of  last  month  did  much  damage,  and  many  vessels  were  lost.  The 
"  Coquette  "  has  not  yet  been  heard  from,  and  is  supposed  to  be  among 
the  lost.  I  am  very  fortunate  in  not  being  on  board  of  her,  but  am 
very  sorry  for  Captain  Prescott.  It  was  to  have  been  his  last  trip 
previous  to  returning  to  America.  There  was  also  on  board  a  mis- 
sionary, with  whom  I  was  acquainted,  and  who  has  probably  shared 
the  same  iate.  I  had  spoken  my  passage  with,  and  had  everything 
ready  in  the  evening  to  join  him  ;  but,  at  the  moment  of  leaving,  some 
little  remark  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  induced  me  to  change  my  mind.  I 
concluded  to  remain  in  Shanghae  a  few  days  longer,  and  then  go  down 
by  the  way  of  Amoy ;  where  I  am  now,  and  where  I  should  not  have 
been  had  I  left  at  that  time.  On  how  slight  a  circumstance  there 
depended  the  prolongation  of  my  life  ! 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 

Mr.  T.  and  I  took  a  little  sail  after  dinner,  and  went  off  on  board 
the  "Alexander  Johnson  "'in  the  evening,  and  came  back  at  nine.  We 
saw  that  the  fleet  of  war-junks  had  returned,  and  was  at  anchor  about 
half  a  mile  from  where  they  left  yesterday  morning,  apparently 
not  daring  to  leave  the  harbor.  They  say  here  that  if  there  WRH 
any  prospect  of  meeting  the  pirates  the  admiral  would  not  venture 
out,  for  the  pirates  oftener  capture  the  war-fleet  than  the  fleet  does 
the  pirates.  They  stand  more  in  fear  of  the  pirates  than  the  pirates  do 


AMOT. VISIT   TO    A    TEW  PLE.  823 

of  them.  The  "  Pilot,"  an  English  man-of-war,  left,  a  day  or  two 
ago,  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  has  not  yet  returned. 

Monday,  Oct.  ]5th.  —  After  breakfast  I  called,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Young, 
on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Doty  ;  and  on  the  way  we  visited  a  temple,  and  took 
a  view  from  some  high  rocks  in  the  background.  Mr.  I),  and  wife  are 
American  missionaries  from  New  York,  all  very  agreeable.  Rev.  Dr. 
Cumtnings  has  gone  home,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Poleman  was  drowned  last 
year  ;  both  of  them  Americans. 

I  met  Mr.  Bradley  during  the  day,  had  a  pleasant  conversation  with 
him,  and  called  on  Dr.  Hyslop,  who  accompanied  me  with  his  boy  into 
the  city.  We  visited  two  large  Chinese  temples,  and  also  saw  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Taoutai  (the  governor),  and  that  of  the  Chinese  colonel 
of  the  army.  There  was  very  little,  if  anything,  worth  visiting  in 
the  city.  We  walked  around  on  the  walls,  looking  down  on  the 
houses  and  very  dirty  streets,  and  spent  the  evening  at  Dr.  H.'s. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  IGth.  —  Rose  at  half-past  six.  I  dined  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Y.  at  three  p.  M.;  and,  on  my  way  back,  called  at  Dr.  Hyslop's, 
who,  in  a  boat,  took  me  to  visit  a  famous  temple  down  the  harbor. 
We  passed  below  the  Chinese  fleet  of  war-junks,  and  landed  on  the 
beach  near  Cornwallis  rock  —  watching  our  opportunity  to  jump  from 
the  boat  and  run  up  before  the  rapidly-following  surf.  We  then 
crossed  the  wide  and  tedious  sandy  beach,  climbed  over  the  fortifica- 
tions, and  made  our  nearest  way  across  the  fields  to  the  temple.  It 
was  sontewhat  dark  on  arriving,  so  that  we  could  not  see  to 
particularize  much. 

In  front  of  the  temple  and  other  buildings  there  are  four  cupola- 
shaped  buildings,  which  stand  in  a  row.  The  centre  pillar  of  each 
of  these  is  supported  on  the  back  of  a  huge  tortoise,  hewn  out  of 
stone  ;  and  six  pillars,  standing  in  the  form  of  a  hexagon,  support 
the  outside.  They  are  very  prettily  and  accurately  hewn  and 
carved,  and  make  an  interesting  appearance.  The  temple  itself  is  a 
very  large  building,  and  extends  back  to  the  foot  of  rocky  moun- 
tains, which  rise  in  bold  and  craggy  ledges  and  heaps  of  boulders 
behind. 

We  went  inside  and  saw  a  few  of  the  large  gods,  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  area  an  extremely  pretty  three  or  four  storied  pagoda. 
The  roof  of  this  temple  was  pierced,  during  the  war,  by  a  cannon-ball 
that  was  thrown  from  one  of  the  English  ships.  It  passed  through 
the  roof,  and  fell  harmlessly  at  the  feet  of  their  idols ;  which  cir- 
cumstance—  their  gods  and  people  escaping  unharmed  —  indicated 


324  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

to  the  Chinese  a  great  intervention  of  Heaven  in  their  behalf.  The 
inside  of  the  roof  was  curiously  formed,  —  lurk  <1  in  somewhat  like  the 
vertebra?  in  tho  spinal  colimm  of  animals.  Tlio  stone  pill.irs  wore 
•'.,  by  cutting  away  the  surfaces  and  lea'usig  the  forms  behind, 
\vich  curious  devices  of  lizards,  dragons,  etc.,  clinging  on  them. 
It  growing  dark  very  soon,  the  boy  lighted  a  torch,  and  led  us  by 
a  back  way  over  a  hill,  which  we  ascended  by  stono  stops,  to  a  Chi- 
nosa  village.  Here  wo  passed  the  graves  of  Chinese  \vho  foil  during 
the  war  with  the  English,  and  went  down  to  the  beach.  The  graves 
are  all  made  in  plaster-work,  a  foot  high  and  a  foot  apart,  in  rows 
or  platoons  differing  in  form  and  style  according  to  the  several  dy- 
nasties of  their  government.  We  walked  along  the  beach  in  search 
of  the  boat ;  but  the  boatmen  had  left,  and  taken  it  with  them.  How- 
ever, we  made  out  to  obtain  another  after  a  considerable  walk,  and 
arrived  at  the  house  of  Dr.  H.  at  about  eight  in  the  evening.  After 
spending  a  couple  of  hours  there,  I  returned  home,  and  retired  about 
twelve. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  \lth. —  I  called  on  Rev.  Mr.  Stronach,  an  English 
missionary  ;  dined  with  Mr.  Milne,  and  afterwards  walked  with  Mr. 
Potter,  an  English  gentleman,  to  a  neighboring  hill.  Over  this  emi- 
nence immense  boulders  are  scattered  in  every  direction,  and  one  large 
one  lies  hanging  on  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice,  apparently  just 
ready  to  fall  and  crush  the  Chinese  dwellings  below.  In  the  evening 
I  called  on  Mr.  Bradley,  and  listened  to  his  interesting  conversation  till 
twelve,  then  concluding  to  remain  with  him  till  the  next  day,  send- 
ing my  boy  home.  Mr.  B.  possesses  a  great  fund  of  information. 
Having  spent  much  of  his  life  in  travel,  and  in  public  office,  he  has  read 
and  observed  much  ;  and  being  naturally  communicative,  I  enjoyed  my 
visit.  Mr.  B.  is  busily  engaged  with  Lin,  his  interpreter,  in  his  con- 
sular affairs,  and  is  now  corresponding  with  the  mandarins  for  the 
purpose  of  arranging  the  days  for  making  his  official  visits.  This, 
in  all  the  form  and  ceremony  of  Chinese  etiquette,  requires  considerable 
writing,  interpreting,  and  preparation  beforehand. 

Thursday,  Oct.  18th.  —  I  arose  at  seven,  and  at  eight  came  home 
to  breakfast.  Mr.  Tait,  not  being  able  to  imagine  where  I  was, 
despatched  last  evening  two  coolies  in  search  of  me,  and  kept  the  house 
open  for  me  all  night,  my  boy  having  neglected  to  tell  him  that  I  was 
not  coming  home,  which  trouble  I  was  sorry  to  have  caused. 

After  attending  an  engagement  at  Mr.  Layton's,  1  met  Mr.  T.  at 
the  residence  of  Mr.  Backhouse,  who  was  there  waiting  to  accompany 


AMOY. GOV.    SU    AND    TIIK   ADMIRAL-PIRATE.  825 

me  to  the  White  Stag  Temple;  but,  it  being  late, we  concluded  to 
defer  it,  and  not  to  go  to-day.  In  the  afternoon  I  called  at  Captain 
Milne's,  afterwards  taking  a  walk  with  him  and  Mr.  Potter  to  Tele- 
graph Hill,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  over  the  city  from  the  tops  of 
the  large  boulders. 

I  have  been  deliberating  this  day  and  evening  upon  going  to  Hong- 
Kong  to-morrow.  Two  vessels,  which  have  been  expected  to  leave  every 
day  this  week,  will  sail  then.  There  are  some  reasons  for  going,  and 
some  for  remaining  a  few  days  longer.  My  reasons  for  leaving  are 
that  I  do  not  like  to  trespass  longer  upon  Mr.  Tail's  kindness,  as  well 
as  to  spend  so  much  time  here,  although  I  enjoy  it.  On  the  other 
hand,  Mr.  Layton  has  invited  me  to  accompany  him  on  board  the 
"  Pilot  "  when  she  comes  in,  to  see  the  pirates  which  may  have  been 
captured.  Mr.  Bradley  also  invites  me  to  accompany  him  in  his  offi- 
cial visits  to  the  mandarins.  There  are  several  places  besides  which  I 
should  yet  like  to  visit  about  Amoy ;  and  then  I  entertain  some  idea 
of  visiting  Fou-chow,  eighty  miles  north  of  this,  though  Mr.  L.  advises 
rue  not  to  do  so  just  now,  as  the  pirates  are  so  numerous  between  here 
and  there. 

I  learned  at  Mr.  L.'s  to-day  that  the  people  of  Amoy  are  expect- 
ing the  pirates  here  soon  to  make  a  descent  upon  the  city  ;  that  their 
emissaries  are  scattered  in  various  parts  over  the  city,  to  act  in  con- 
cert with  them  ;  and  that  the  more  wealthy  inhabitants  are  hourly 
moving  articles  of  value  to  places  of  safety  into  the  country.  The 
"Pilot"  is  out  now  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  up  their  fleet,  if 
possible. 

Gov.  Su,  at  Canton,  has  made  some  overtures  to  the  head  pirate, 
Chap-ing-sai,  to  have  him  give  up  his  profession  ;  but  he  demands  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  and  an  office  of  mandarin,  which  Su  as  yet 
has  refused  to  give.  The  admiral-pirate  would  take  nothing  less,  and 
is  now  engaged  in  his  acts  of  death  and  plunder.  The  Chinese  war- 
junks  remain  at  their  anchorage,  not  yet  venturing  out.  There  are 
two  towns  in  the  vicinity  of  Amoy  over  which  the  pirates  have  tho 
whole  control,  and  the  mandarins  are  too  weak,  and  too  much  in  fear 
of  them,  even  to  send  a  despatch,  or  to  make  any  efforts  to  put  them 
down. 

Friday,  Oct.  IVlh.  —  The  "Dart"  came  in  again  to-day,  to  the 

great  surprise  and  wonder  of  all.     Some  thought  it  was  on  account  of 

the  pirates,  and  some  that  Capt.  P.  again  was  sick  ;  but  she  had  been 

wind-bound  at  the  Piscadore  Islands,  and  came  to  bring  in  the  captain 

23 


826  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

and  wife,  and  the  crew  of  the  "  Sarah  Trotman,"  which  had  been 
wrecked  on  those  islands.  I  was  fearful  that  Capt.  Porter  was  quite 
ill  again,  or  not  living ;  but  he  was  well,  and  came  with  Mr.  Croit, 
Mr.  Morse,  Capt.  P.  and  Mr.  0.,  to  dine  with  Mr.  Tait. 

It  was  the  intention  of  Mr.  T.  and  myself  to  visit  the  "  White  Stag 
Temple  ;  "  but,  owing  to  many  interruptions,  he  was  unable  to  accom- 
pany me,  and  we  again  had  to  defer  it.  After  dinner,  Mr.  Macchi, 
Mr.  Bradley  and  myself,  made  a  visit  to  the  "  White  Heart  Temple," 
which  was  not  far  off,  it  being  a  little  this  side  of  the  telegraph 
station.  On  the  way  we  passed  a  pool  into  which  female  infants 
are  thrown,  and  in  which  we  could  yet  see  them  mouldering  in  the 
stagnant  mud  and  water. 

The  temple  was  pretty,  but  not  very  remarkable.  The  grounds 
•were  laid  out  with  considerable  taste,  and  a  large  banian-tree  had  a 
place  in  one  corner  of  the  yard.  Curious  winding  stone  steps  led  up 
and  about  in  various  directions,  and  there  were  numerous  idols. 

A  few  mornings  since,  at  the  breakfast-table,  Mr.  T.  made  some 
amusement  by  his  explanation  of  a  peculiarity  in  the  Chinese  mode  of 
cooking.  He  had  helped  me  to  a  dish  which  I  had  never  before  seen. 
While  partaking  of  it  with  good  appetite,  he  asked  me  how  I  liked 
the  "  beef  scollop." 

To  this  I  answered,  "  Very  well." 

It  seemed  to  consist  of  beef-steak  cut  and  pounded  up  very  fine, 
without  potatoes  or  seasoning,  and  it  had  little  positive  taste  of  any 
kind.  He  said, 

"  I  presume  you  know  how  the  cook  prepares  this  dish  ?  " 

I  answered  honestly  that  "  I  did  not  know." 

He  continued,  with  a  plausible  air, 

"  Well,  I  can  tell  you.  The  Chinese  cooks  have  no  chopping-knives, 
and,  as  a  substitute,  they  chew  the  meat  fine,  in  their  own  mouths." 

I  partook  of  it  afterwards,  adding  vinegar  ;  but  I  must  say  that  my 
appetite  for  the  dish  was  diminished.  Still  I  was  determined  not  to 
be  induced  by  my  imagination  to  give  it  up.  Mr.  B.,  I  noticed,  ate 
and  swallowed  with  some  difficulty,  and  probably  I  did  myself.  After 
a  painful  suspense  of  some  minutes,  Mr.  T.  observed,  by  way  of 
climax, 

"  Gentlemen,  don't  be  afraid  of  it ;  I  never  allow  my  cooks  to  use 
any  tobacco  whatever !  " 

We  laid  down  our  knives  and  forks,  and  Mr.  T.  enjoyed  a  good  laugh 
while  we  gave  our  plates  to  the  servants  to  be  changed,  and  passed  to 


AMOY. WHITE   STAG    TEMPLE.  327 

the  next  dish.  After  that  I  did  not  taste  of  the  beef  scollop  —  at  least, 
for  some  days. 

At  dinner  one  day  we  had  some  tripe  served  up  in  a  new  style, 
according  to  the  Chinese  method  ;  and  the  looks  and  odor  of  it  were 
more  disagreeable  than  our  imaginations  pictured  the  scollop,  or  any 
other  article  of  food  I  have  yet  seen.  Some  quite  amusing  remarks 
were  elicited  by  the  presence  of  this  dish. 

Saturday,  October  2Qth.  —  About  noon,  started,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Tait,  Mr.  Patten  and  Mr.  Craig,  to  visit  the  "White  Stag  Tern pk. 
Mr.  T.,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  country,  led  us  through 
the  streets  of  the  city,  passing  the  White  Heart  Temple  on  our  way. 

We  ascended  the  mountain  by  crooked  flights  of  stone  steps,  pass  d 
over,  and  by  corresponding  flights  of  steps  descended  into  a  deep  valley 
beyond.  When  part  of  the  way  down,  we  stopped  a  few  minutes  to 
look  at  an  ancient  tomb,  built  into  the  hill-side.  This  tomb  occupied 
a  space  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet  square,  and  was  divided  into  three 
terraces,  each  of  them  one  or  two  feet  above  the  other,  and  all  paved 
with  flat  stones.  Four  figures  of  their  divinities,  a  little  larger  than 
life,  and  hewn  out  of  stone,  stood  in  front  at  each  corner,  and  on  one 
side  stood  the  sculptured  figure  of  a  horse. 

On  each  side  of  us,  and  in  every  direction,  were  other  tombs  and 
graves  ;  in  fact,  hardly  a  spot  of  ground  could  be  seen  of  a  few  feet 
square  which  had  not  a  tomb  or  grave  upon  it.  Then  we  came  to  a 
town  or  small  city,  and  passed  through  its  narrow,  angular,  and 
or  .wiled  streets.  It  was  not  remarkable  for  anything,  except  for  its 
want  of  cleanliness,  and  for  what  is  common  to  all  Chinese  places,  the 
constant  barking  of  their  cowardly  dogs  at  foreigners.  We  soon  after 
came  to  the  "  White  Stag  Temple,"  which  proved  to  be  the  same 
pretty  temple  which  Dr.  H.  and  I  visited  on  the  16th. 

V\"e  remained  but  a  short  time,  taking  a  cursory  view  of  the  various 
buildings,  the  gods,  and  the  general  arrangement  of  the  whole.  Two 
women  were  chin-chinning  Josh  at  the  shrine,  on  which,  in  front  of 
the  gods,  the  incense,  or  Josh-sticks,  \vere  burning  and  smoking.  The 
women  tried  their  luck  with  a  bunch  of  bamboo  slips,  and  the  casting 
on  the  floor  of  two  pieces  of  dice-wood.  One  of  the  women  shook  the 
bunch  of  slips  in  a  bamboo  bos,  until  one  gradually  worked  up  and 
fell  out  on  the  ground.  This,  like  all,  having  a  motto  engraved  on  it, 
the  woman  carried  to  the  priest,  who  interpreted  it,  and  gave  her  a 
corresponding  response,  for  which  she  paid  a  number  of  copper  cash. 
These  responses  are  small  pieces  of  paper  written  on,  and  prepared 


328  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

and  kept  on  hand  by  the  quantity.  If  I  mistake  not,  the  writing  is  a 
note-of-hand  running  to  the  departed  friend  of  the  bearer,  and  entitling 
them,  after  it  is  burned  at  the  altar,  to  a  certain  sum  of  money  in  the 
next  world. 

The  two  pieces  of  dice- wood  are  made  from  a  bamboo  root,  cut 
about  five  inches  long  and  split  in  halves,  much  resembling  the  two 
halves  of  a  kidney-bean.  The  two  parts  are  placed  together  and 
dropped  upon  the  floor  :  if  they  fall  opposite  sides  up,  they  are  lucky  ; 
but  if  they  come  with  the  same  sides  up,  they  are  unlucky.  One  of 
the  women  took  the  two  pieces  in  her  hands,  advanced  to  the  idol, 
prostrated  herself,  knocking  her  head  on  the  stones  several  times,  and 
chin-chinning  the  idol,  addressing  petitions  for  its  aid  and  favor,  held 
up  her  hands  with  a  countenance  indicating  entire  faith  in  the  power 
of  the  god,  and  let  fall  the  two  pieces  of  wood.  These  rebounded  iu 
different  directions.  With  what  anxiousness  did  her  eye  rapidly 
glance  from  one  piece  to  the  other  !  and  how  pleased  did  she  appear, 
on  seeing  one  of  the  pieces  with  the  round  side  up,  and  the  other  with 
the  flat,  to  find  herself  lucky  ! 

The  other,  an  older  woman,  now  advanced  with  her  half-sized  feet, 
in  a  half-hobbling  gait,  and  took  her  turn.  She  was  not  BO  lucky. 
She  tried  them  over  and  over  with  alternate  chin-chinnings  ;  but  either 
the  two  round  sides  came  up,  or  the  two  flat.  She  went  on,  finally, 
with  such  desperation,  that  I  really  pitied  her.  She  continued,  how- 
ever, to  pick  them  up  and  let  them  fall  as  fast  as  she  could,  until  sliO 
was  really  lucky  ;  and  then,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction  at  having 
conquered,  she  gave  the  idol  a  look  that  seemed  to  say,  "Well,  you 
see  I  did  succeed,  notwithstanding ;  "  and  then  she  left  the  temple. 
After  they  had  gone  we  all  tried  our  fortunes,  much  to  the  amazement 
of  the  priests.  Some  of  us  were  lucky,  and  some  unlucky  :  I  was 
among  the  unlucky  ones,  but,  persevering,  became  lucky. 

We  did  not  visit  the  rear  part  of  the  grounds,  which  I  should  like 
to  have  done,  though  it  is  similar  to  other  temples  ;  for  the  party  was 
in  a  hurry  to  proceed.  The  priests  were  all  civil  and  very  polite  ;  the 
expectation  of  little  presents  from  us,  perhaps,  made  them  more  so. 

\\re  then  proceeded  through  another  village  beyond,  and  turned  into 
the  valley,  between  mountains  the  tops  and  sides  of  which  were 
covered  with  stone  boulders,  some  of  them  of  immense  size,  rounded 
in  various  shapes,  and  thrown  into  various  positions.  This  part  of 
the  country  was  probably,  at  no  very  distant  period,  washed  by  the 
sea,  as  every  appearance  seemed  to  indicate. 


AMOY. — -JOSH-IIOCSE:  329 

I  here  began  to  think  that  Mr.  T.  was  taking  us  on  a  longer  trip 
than  we  had  anticipated  ;  and  though  his  feet  went  lightly  and  nimbly 
over  the  ground,  I  was  painfully  conscious  that  mine  were  moving 
with  some  embarrassment.  However,  I  followed  on  at  a  pretty  rapid 
pace —  winding  and  turning  here  and  there,  as  the  path  directed,  up 
hill  and  down.  We  left  the  valley,  ascending  the  rocky  heights,  and 
climbing  from  peak  to  peak,  till  we  had  made  the  circuit  of  the  range. 
In  the  midst  of  the  tops  of  these  mountains  is  a  large  hollow  of  land 
composed  of  sand,  gravel  and  rocks,  though  a  part  of  it  is  culti- 
vated. Near  the  centre  of  this  we  stopped  at  a  small  cottage,  which 

was  called  Mrs. 's  Folly,  so  called  from  her  building  a  house  in 

so  elevated  and  retired  a  position,  and  where  it  could  be  seldom 
visited  by  herself  or  others.  The  house  was  closed,  and  I  was  told 
that  she  had  yet  never  occupied  it.  The  wind  blew  very  strong,  as  I 
think  it  always  docs  in  this  vicinity,  and  while  on  the  peaks  we  were 
obliged  to  take  some  care  not  to  be  blown  by  a  sudden  gust  over  a 
precipice. 

Having  travelled  over  the  top,  we  commenced  the  descent  ou 
the  side  opposite  that  which  we  came  up,  directing  our  course 
towards  home.  The  path  was  narrow  and  steep.  My  shoes  were 
filled  with  gravel,  my  feet  were  sore,  and  I  was  nearly  jagged  out; 
and  I  think,  from  the  long  sighs  that  frequently  escaped  my  compan- 
ions, that  their  condition  did  not  differ  much  from  mine.  Mr.  T., 
however,  went  on  as  if  he  had  freshly  started,  laughing  occasionally 
from  one  corner  of  his  mouth,  as  he  glanced  at  our  unsteady  steps. 
Immense  boulder-rocks  were  piled  up  on  both  sides  of  us,  from  a  size 
that  I  could  lift  in  my  arms,  to  that  of  one  weighing  thousands  of 
tons.  They  were  all  oval-shaped,  like  an  egg  or  paving-stone,  and 
tumbled  one  upon  another,  in  varied  confusion. 

The  mountain,  in  its  whole  extent  to  Amoy,  is  nearly  of  the  same 
general  character.  In  the  side  towards  the  city  there  are  several 
small  ravines,  in  which  are  recesses  and  glen-like  places  filled  with  the 
time-worn  and  blackened  boulder-rocks  ;  and  in  these  recesses,  the 
wildest  and  most  romantic-looking  places  being  selected,  wealthy 
Chinamen  sometimes  have  a  small  temple  or  Josh-house  built  for  their 
own  particular  benefit.  These  small  temples  are  familiarly  called 
"  Josh-houses,"  though  there  is  no  such  name  in  the  Chinese  language. 

In  one  of  thoso  wild-looking  places  the  Iliqua  (a  mandarin)  has  a 
Josh-bouse,  which  he  visits  as  inclination  leads  him.  It  is  located  in 
the  midtst  of  these  boulders,  and  is  so  contrived  that  several  of  them 
28* 


330  CHINA    AXD   MAXILLA. 

form  some  part  of  the  building  or  the  grounds.  Flights  of  steps  are 
cut  into  them,  twisting  about  in  the  oddest  ways,  —  now  leading  up, 
and  then  down,  and  then  between  them,  —  and  little  bridges  are  tin-own 
over,  connecting  them  with  the  path .  As  you  pass  between  the  boulders, 
they  are  often  several  times  your  height ;  and  when  you  are  above 
them,  or  on  the  little  bridge,  you  can  look  among  them  and  down  into 
deep  and  dark  chasms,  and  hear  the  water  rippling  and  trickling 
through  at  the  bottom.  A  pretty  banian-tree  is  growing  within  the 
grounds,  and  many  other  trees  and  shrubs  are  interspersed  around, 
wherever  there  is  a  place  to  take  root  on  the  rocky  and  barren  soil. 

Entering  the  buildings  of  thelliqua's  Josh-house,  we  glanced  at  the 
idols,  and  then  passed  up  stairs  and  stood  upon  a  veranda  that  over- 
hung the  ravine  below,  and  commanded  a  very  pretty  view  beyond, 
although  so  wild  and  full  of  barrenness.  I  never  saw  such  a  singular 
assemblage  of  rocks  as  was  here  presented.  The  mountains  were  liter- 
ally white  with  them  ;  and  they  were  scattered  in  large  heaps  in  the 
hollows.  One  immense  boulder,  shaped  like  an  egg,  had  the  small 
end  broken  off  and  left  raised,  like  the  open  lid  of  a  coffee-pot,  the 
two  parts  being  still  in  contact,  like  a  hinge. 

We  reached  home  at  four  p.  M.  After  dining  and  resting,  I  went 
to  the  English  consulate  with  Mr.  T.,  and  called  at  Dr.  W.'s. 

Sunday,  October  21st.  —  I  attended  church  at  the  chapel  of  the 
missionaries  at  eleven  A.  M.  Rev.  Mr.  Stronach,  missionary  from 
England,  preached.  After  dining  with  Mr.  T.,  I  crossed  the  channel 
to  Colonsu,  —  taking  a  sail  on  the  water,  and  a  walk  on  the  island. 
The  same  kind  of  boulders,  and  the  same  barren  appearance  of  the 
land,  were  seen  here,  as  on  the  Amoy  side.  To  cool  ourselves,  we 
ascended  to  the  top  of  an  enormous  boulder,  and  from  that  elevated 
seat  we  enjoyed  a  refreshing  breeze,  and  a  view  of  this  and  the  sur- 
rounding islands.  We  could  discern,  towering  up  from  the  centre  of 
an  island  to  the  west,  called  "  Pagoda  Island,"  one  single  pagoda  ; 
and  to  the  south  the  high  land  in  the  distant  horizon  faintly  disclosed 
another  pagoda,  enveloped  in  the  blue  haze.  In  the  east,  and  ab;nit 
ten  miles  distant,  are  the  six  islands,  extending  across  the  entrance  of 
the  harbor,  and  the  black,  rocky  shore  of  Amoy  bay,  and  at  the 
north  a  range  of  barren  hills.  In  the  valleys  below  and  around  ua 
are  several  small  villages,  composed  of  low  buildings  huddled  together, 
—  mostly  of  one  story,  and  inhabited  generally  by  fishermen. 

Mr.  T.  Avas  very  expert  in  ascending  the  rocks ;  and  much  more 
than  I  was,  for  ho  had  tiret  to  climb  up  himself,  and  then  to  pull  me 


AMOY. VISIT    TO   THE   HIHONO.  331 

up  by  the  arm  after  him.  And  the  descent  was  nearly  as  bad  ;  for 
•we  had  to  slide  down  the  boulder  and  jump  off,  landing  upon  a  solid 
rock  below. 

Monday,  October  22d.  —  This  was  the  day  appointed  for  the  official 
visit  to  the  mandarins,  as  had  been  arranged  between  them  and  Mr. 
Bradley,  the  American  consul.  By  some  misunderstanding  of  the 
hour,  when  I  came  to  Mr.  B.'s  house  they  had  all  left.  I  hastened 
to  overtake  and  join  them  on  the  way,  and  met  them  in  quite  a  train 
of  chairs  returning  from  their  visit  to  the  Taoutai.  I  passed  them  in 
the  narrow  street,  though  there  was  scarcely  room  to  do  so,  expecting 
the  coolies  Avould  then  turn  around  ;  instead  of  which,  they  continued 
on.  Fearing  that  I  should  lose  the  party,  I  called  out  several  times 
to  the  coolies  to  turn  about.  They  made  some  signs  which  I  could 
not  understand,  and  hurried  on  faster.  Not  understanding  that  they 
were  going  to  the  end  or  crossings  of  the  street,  where  there  was  more 
room  to  turn,  I  scolded  and  threatened,  and  at  last  jumped  out  of 
the  chair  and  caught  the  forward  cooly  by  his  long  queue,  and  stopped 
them.  With  blusterings,  signs  and  motions,  I  made  them  turn  round 
on  the  spot.  This  they  accomplished  by  backing  into  a  Chinaman's 
store,  and,  after  considerable  tipping,  turning  and  twisting,  wo 
headed  the  other  way.  Taking  my  seat  inside  again,  we  soon  over- 
took the  train,  when  I  ascertained  that  we  were  on  the  way  to  the 
Hihong's.  The  party  consisted  of  Mr.  Bradley,  Rev.  Mr.  Doty,  Lin, 
the  Chinese  interpreter,  Mr.  D.'s  linguist,  myself,  and  several  ser- 
vants. 

We  soon  came  to  the  house,  and,  leaving  our  chairs  in  the  street, 
entered.  When  inside  of  the  outer  door,  we  seemed  to  be  in  the  hall 
itself;  for  the  hall  was  a  continuation  of  the  passage-way  —  a  kind 
of  open  space  leading  from  the  front  to  the  rear.  The  Hihong  was 
waiting,  and  at  once  advanced  to  meet  us.  Lin  introduced  Mr.  B.  as 
the  consul  from  the  United  States  of  America  for  Ainoy,  Mr.  D.  as  an 
American  missionary,  and  myself  as  an  American  doctor.  The  Ili- 
hong  shook  each  of  us  by  the  hand, —  taking  ours  in  both  of  his, 
intending  probably  to  make  use  of  our  custom,  but  evidently  forget- 
ting that  it  is  one  hand,  and  not  two,  that  we  shake. 

After  a  few  words  explanatory  of  the  visit  by  Mr.  B.,  he  motioned 
to  each  of  us  singly  to  sit  down.  He  did  not  ask  Lin,  the  interpreter, 
to  be  seated,  till  he  learned  the  relation  he  sustained  to  Mr.  B.,  when 
by  signs  he  made  the  same  demonstration  to  him. 

Some  conversation  now  took  place,  through  the  interpreter,  between 


332  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

the  two  officials.  After  this  the  Hihong  arose,  and,  addressing  each 
of  us  singly,  requested  us  to  be  seated  at  the  table.  This  was  covered 
with  cakes,  fruits,  and  sweetmeats.  The  chairs  were  placed  in  two 
rows,  one  on  each  side  of  the  table,  and  facing  each  other.  The  Hi- 
hong placed  us  at  the  table  as  he  chose,  but  I  could  not  see  that  he 
wished  to  make  anj  distinction.  He  was  exceedingly  polite,  helping 
each  of  us  to  a  piece  of  cake  with  his  own  fingers.  The  tea  was 
brought  on  in  cups  with  lids  to  them,  each  having  a  little  metallic 
plate,  instead  of  saucer,  to  hold  the  cup. 

While  sitting  at  the  table  Lin  interpreted  for  the  Ilihong  and  Mr.  B., 
but,  speaking  indistinctly  and  in  a  low  voice,  I  could  only  occasionally 
make  out  what  was  said.  The  conversation  was  mostly  on  their  official 
relations,  and  afterwards  respecting  themselves  and  families.  Mr.  B. 
asked  the  Ilihong  how  old  he  was.  The  Hihong,  receiving  this  us  a 
compliment,  leaned  far  over  the  table  towards  Mr.  B.,  with  a  face  full 
of  pleasure,  and  forcible  tips  to  his  head,  answered  that  he  was  fifty- 
two.  He  then  asked  Mr.  B.  his  age.  This  answered,  Mr.  B.  asked 
how  many  children  he  had,  and  the  Ilihong  replied,  in  the  same  grat- 
ified manner,  that  he  had  "  six  children."  Various  other  questions 
of  a  similar  nature  were  asked  and  answered,  quite  the  reverse  of 
our  ideas  of  etiquette. 

The  Hihong  is  the  governor  of  customs.  He  was  rather  a  good- 
looking  man  for  a  Chinaman,  with  a  large  frame,  large  head,  choco- 
late-colored complexion,  black,  cunning  eyes,  and  a  dark,  heavy  mus- 
tache. His  features  were  rounded  and  full,  his  face  and  head  were 
smoothly  shaved,  and  a  long  braided  tail  hung  down  his  back.  His 
neck  was  short,  thick,  and  inclined,  and  throws  his  head  considerably 
forward,  which,  when  he  walks,  seems  to  be  about  half  a  foot  or  more 
in  advance  of  his  body  ;  and,  not  least,  what  a  Chinaman  is  always 
desirous  of  being,  he  was  fat  and  plump,  though  few  comparatively 
are  so. 

His  dress  was  a  long,  dark-blue  silk  frock,  worn  over  another  frock, 
of  a  lighter  color.  The  frock  had,  on  its  front  and  back,  patches  eight 
or  twelve  inches  square,  of  gilt  embroidered  figuring.  A  necklace  of 
large  beads  was  suspended  from  his  neck,  hanging  low  down  in  front. 
Upon  his  head  was  a  low,  peculiar-shaped  hat,  with  a  long  peacock- 
feather  sticking  out  behind,  and  a  red  glass  knob  in  the  crown  ;  and 
he  wore  long,  white  Icggins,  and  large  and  thick  shoes,  which  were 
apparently  made  new  for  the  occasion,  and  had  each  a  resemblance  to 
a  tailor's  goose. 


AMOY. THE   HIQUAN.  333 

The  two  officials  having  a  sufficiently  long  and  amicable  conversa- 
tion, Mr.  B.  setting  the  example,  we  arose  to  depart.  We  were  now 
ready  to  take  leave  in  any  way  that  might  be  indicated  by  our  host.  I 
hoped  it  would  be  anything  but  shaking  our  hands.  To  me  it  is  any- 
thing but  agreeable  to  shake  hands  with  a  Chinaman.  I  can  shake 
hands  with  a  pump-handle,  if  it  needs  be ;  but  I  would  almost  as  wil- 
lingly submit  my  hand  to  the  clasp  of  an  eagle's  claws,  as  to  the  long 
tiuils  and  bony  fingers  of  Chinamen  generally.  His  Chinese  high- 
ness, however,  observed  his  own  custom  —  shaking  his  own  hands  at 
us  with  much  politeness  and  affability,  which  we  returned  with  oura 
in  the  same  way,  and  which  the  principals  continued  doing  until  out 
of  each  other's  sight. 

On  coming  to  the  street  we  found  quite  a  crowd  of  people  collected 
from  curiosity,  and  looking  through  the  gratings  of  the  door  to  see 
what  was  going  on  at  the  mandarin's  house  ;  but  they  all  dispersed 
quietly  as  we  left. 

We  next  took  up  our  line  of  march  to  the  Hiquan's,  which  was  at 
same  distance  in  the  suburbs,  and  near  the  country.  This  mandarin 
lived  in  a  palace,  compared  with  the  residence  of  the  last.  His  grounds 
were  extensive,  and  the  buildings  large  and  numerous. 

Wo  entered  a  long  and  wide  court-yard,  through  which  we  passed, 
and  then,  turning  a  right  angle  to  the  left,  we  were  shown  into  the 
presence  of  his  honor  the  Iliquan.  He  looked  very  much  like  the  last 
functionary  ;  enough,  I  should  suppose,  to  have  been  his  brother.  He 
received  us  very  courteously.  The  ceremonies  at  the  table  were  simi- 
lar to  those  before,  without  any  particular  difference.  I  believe  that 
this  mandarin  is  a  judge,  and  successor  to  one  of  whom  the  English 
consul  told  me,  who  kept  a  Chinaman  hung  up  by  his  arms  three  days 
in  his  house,  and  only  liberated  him  on  the  interposition  of  the 
consul. 

The  Chinaman  had  called  on  Mr.  Layton  to  obtain  redress  for  some 
grievance,  and  the  English  consul  sent  him,  with  his  card,  to  the  man- 
darin. The  Chinese  official  demanded  thirty  dollars  of  his  countryman, 
who  could  not  pay  it,  and  the  mandarin  suspended  him  by  his  arms, 
day  and  night,  till  Mr.  L.  heard  of  it  and  interfered.  By  the  perse- 
verance of  Mr.  L.  the  mandarin  was  turned  out  of  his  office,  and  the 
next  night  took  poison  and  died  in  his  bed. 

From  this  place  we  went  to  the  residence  of  the  Chambdo,  a  manda- 
rin, who  is  a  general  or  colonel,  or  some  high  officer  in  the  Chinese 
army,  and  lives  inside  the  city  wall.  We  were  here  received  as  we 


334  CHINA  AXD  MAXILLA. 

were  by  the  other  officials  ;  but  while  here  a  little  misunderstanding 
arose  respecting  Lin,  the  interpreter.  The  Chambdo,  seeming  to  doubt 
Lin's  right  of  rank  to  sit  at  the  table  with  him,  made  a  show  of  feel- 
ing, with  sjiue  cutting  remarks,  expressive  of  his  woundid  j  vide  and 
rage  at  tlie  intrusion.  Lin,  considering  himself  disgraced,  became 
also  in  a  rage,  and  was  about  to  leave  ;  but  the  difficulty  was  adjusted 
by  a  little  explanation  from  Mr.  B.,  which  restored  Lin  to  the  good 
graces  of  the  mandarin.  The  term  "mandarin"  is  not  a  Cl.iu .•.-: 
word,  but  has  been  introduced  from  some  of  the  foreign  languages, 
and  refers  to  ten  ranks  of  officers  under  the  government. 

LETTER   TO    SISTER   L.   F. 

Amoy,  Tuesday,  Oct.  23d. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  L.  F  :  At  ten,  this  A.  M.,  I  went  to  the  house  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Doty,  to  be  present  at  the  reception  of  the  Taoutai  (that  is, 
the  governor) ,  who  returns  the  visit  made  yesterday  by  the  American 
consul,  Mr.  Bradley.  Mr.  B.  was  there,  waiting,  and  equipped  in  his 
dark-blue  coat  with  brass  buttons,  &c. 

A  few  minutes  past  the  hour,  we  heard  the  reports  of  cannon. 
"  Ah,"  said  Mr.  D.,  "  he  has  started  ;  three  salutes  are  always  given 
on  the  mandarins'  leaving  their  own  dwelling."  Soon  after,  three  cards 
(that  is,  three  slips  of  red  paper,  three  inches  wide  and  six  long,  with  the 
name  of  the  Taoutai  upon  them)  were  handed  in,  one  for  Mr.  B.,  une 
for  Mr.  D.,  and  one  for  myself.  As  the  cards  are  taken  by  servants 
and  precede  the  train  of  the  mandarin  only  a  few  moments  in  advance, 
n-e  passed  down  the  stairs  to  receive  the  Taoutai  at  the  door.  Here, 
thinking  that  two  persons  were  enough  to  receive  one,  I  was  about 
making  my  retreat  to  the  room  again,  to  await  there  ;  but  I  was  in- 
formed that  I  must  remain,  as  it  would  be  deemed  an  insult  to  the 
mandarin  if  any  one  of  us  who  made  the  visit  yesterday  was  not  at  the 
door  to  receive  him. 

Waiting  a  few  minutes  below,  we  heard  the  loud,  tumultuous 
noises  of  the  heralds  who  go  before,  carrying  their  badges,  and,  with 
wailing  sounds,  cry,  "  Clear  the  street !  "  "  clear  the  street !  "  and  thus 
signaliz3  the  approach  of  the  "  man  of  conssquence."  Soon  after, 
i  long  train  of  servants,  bearing  various  insignia,  appeared  before  the 
iloor ;  and  then  the  Taoutai  himself,  carried  by  four  bearers.  \ 
down.  He  stepped  out  of  his  sedan,  and  entered  the  door  with  an  air 
of  considerable  importance;  but  was  very  graceful,  polite,  and  digni- 
fied. In  the  salutation  he  evidently  determined  to  have  it  right  this 
time,  for  he  shook  his  own  hands  first  and  afterwards  ours,  taking  one 
of  our  hands  in  both  of  his.  After  several  compliments  with  Mr.  B., 
as  to  which  should  go  first,  he  walked  ahead,  and  we  following, 
and  a  portion  of  his  servants  brought  up  the  rear,  and  deposited  them- 
selves in  various  places,  standing  behind  him  and  about  the  room.  One 
of  them  stood  by  him  constantly,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  and  watch- 
ing his  long  pipe,  which  the  Taoutai  kept  in  constant  operation.  As 


AMOY.  —  RIDING    IN    THE    STREETS.  DOGS.  335 

thr-  pipe  required  replenishing  often,  his  business  was  to  receive  it  and 
hand  it  to  another  servant  to  replenish  and  take  charge, of  until  again 
wanted. 

The  Taoutai  appeared  much  pleased  with  Mrs.  D.,  who  was  "  well 
favored,"  so  to  speak;  nor  did  lie  seem  to  consider  it  a  disgrace  for 
b>.-r  to  be  seen,  as  the  presence  of  ladies  is  generally  regarded  by  the 
Chinese  ;  but  smiled,  and  often  looked  at  her,  gesticulated,  and  made 
complim.mtary  remarks  to  her  through  the  interpretation  of  Lin. 
Upon  her  presenting  the  cup  of  tea  with  her  own  hands,  he  rose  from 
!:is  chair  to  receive  it,  bowed  several  times,  as  if  highly  flattered  by 
tin-  attention,  gave  several  grunts  signifying  his  approbation,  and  sat 
iliwn  again,  lie  remained  an  hour,  talking  and  laughing,  smoking 
and  partaking  of  refreshment.  He  could  not  talk  without  an  inter- 
preter, but  his  laughing  did  not  require  the  aid  of  any  one,  and  he  left 
in  high  spirits,  apparently  much  pleased  with  his  visit. 

Returning  home,  I  dined  at  Mr.  Jackson's,  and  then  took  a  horse- 
back ride  with  Mr.  Smith,  —  they  having  two  horses  for  their  own 
convenience.  We  passed  through  the  city,  Mr.  S.  setting  his  horse 
off  at  a  gallop  from  the  first,  and  much  to  my  fear  that  he  would  run 
over  the  Chinese  in  the  crowded  streets.  I  was  not  aware,  before  leav- 
ing, that  we  were  obliged  to  turn  such  short  corners,  pass  through  such 
narrow  streets,  up  flights  of  stone  steps,  and  ascend  such  steep  places 
on  the  hill,  or  I  might  not  have  attempted  the  excursion.  I  was  quite 
surprised  when  I  observed  the  horse  of  Mr.  S.,  in  advance  of  me, 
passing  up  the  steps ;  for  I  did  not  know  that  horses  could  ascend 
such.  I  felt,  at  first,  some  hesitation  at  proceeding  in  this  manner, 
but  there  was  no  time  for  reflection  ;  and,  after  an  hour,  I  could  ride 
nearly  as  comfortably  up  or  down  the  steps  as  on  level  ground. 
These  little  ponies  are  very  sure-footed,  especially  when  they  have  no 
iron  on  their  hoofs.  However,  as  it  became  very  dark,  AVC  thought  it 
best  to  lead  our  horses  down  the  flag-staff  hill ;  for  we  had  gone  up 
some  places  where  it  seemed  impossible  to  come  down  without  going 
headlong  over  our  horses'  necks.  By  walking  we  succeeded  very  well, 
with  the  exception  of  slipping  down  myself  a  few  times. 

While  trotting  through  the  crowded  streets,  I  was  amused  to  see 
a  strange  dog  join  that  of  Mr.  S.,  running  ahead,  barking  and  yelp- 
ing, lie  completely  cleared  the  way,  causing  the  Chinamen  to  open  a 
passage  right  and  left ;  and  often,  in  their  hurry,  to  tumble  over  each 
other.  This  dog  jumped  on  any  parson  in  his  way,  and  the  Chinese,  in 
their  hurjy  to  escape,  would  whirl  round,  pitch  backwards  over  a  stone 
stop  or  upon  some  Chinawoman's  cake  and  fruit  stand,  overturning 
it,  and  scattering  the  things  over  the  stones.  The  poor  Chines-, 
startled  by  the  clattering  of  the  horse  so  soon  after  the  dogs,  and  not 
being  able  in  the  glare  of  lights  to  see  as  quickly  as  they  could  hear, 
would  throw  up  their  arms  in  all  directions,  half  frightened  out 
of  their  wits  ;  and,  staggering  backwards,  fall  into  the  open  doors  of 
shops  behind,  and  perhaps  upon  some  one  sitting  inside. 

1  was  also  not  a  little  alarmed,  for  I  was  fearful  that  some  one 
would  be  run  over,  and  get  us  into  difficulty  with  the  people  ;  but,  as 
I  did  not  liko  to  be  left  behind,  and  frequently  could  only  see  the  tail 


336  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

/ 

of  my  friend's  horse  whining  the  corner  of  t'io  street  ahead,  I  felt 
obliged  to  keoj>  in  sight. 

Tiiere  are  gates  at  intervals  along  the  streets,  which' are  closed  at 
about  tan  in  the  evening,  a!'t>T  which  the  only  way  to  pass  them  is  by 
crawling  through  a  small  and  narrow  aperture  lel't  at  the  lower  part. 
These  apertures  are  hardly  large  enough  to  admit  the  body,  and,  in 
Hume  cases,  require  a  more  or  loss  desperate  squeeze  in  the  process. 
After  taking  tea  with  Mr.  S.,  on  iny  way  home  to  Mr.  T.'s  I  had  all 
the  gates  to  encounter,  and  had  to  humble  myself  accordingly. 

Wednesday,  Oct.2-ith.  —  It  would  seem  that  the  gate-keepers  did 
not  intend  to  allow  those  out  at  this  hour  of  the  night  to  get  through 
before  it  could  be  known  whether  they  were  thieves  or  good  men. 

At  four,  this  p.  M.,  I  accompanied  Mr.  Bradley  to  Mr.  Doty's, 
where  the  other  three  mandarins  were  to  return  the  visits.  Near 
the  hour  appointed  the  reports  of  the  guns  were  heard,  and  soon 
after  the  howling  Chinese  voices  in  the  van  of  the  train.  The  red 
cards  now  came  in  with  the  mandarins'  names  on  them  ;  but  to  which 
mandarin  each  belonged  was  more  than  I  could  tell.  Each  card  had 
two  or  three  groups  of  crooked  marks,  more  like  the  drawings  of 
some  Chinese  insects  than  anything  else,  and  are  all  alike  to  me  ; 
but  I  shall  have  the  names  put  on  in  English,  and  keep  them  as  a 
curiosity. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  street  was  full  of  sedan-chairs,  servants  with 
badges  and  banners,  and  a  throng  of  street-loafers  generally.  The 
train  drew  up  to  the  door,  the  sedans  were  put  down,  and  the  three 
mandarins,  stepping  out,  shook  hands  with  us.  After  this  it  seemed 
somewhat  doubtful  whether  they  would  enter  the  house  at  all,  as  they 
stood  bowing  and  flourishing  to  each  other,  each  desiring  the  other  to 
go  in  first ;  though  it  was  perfectly  well  understood  to  whom  the 
right  of  precedence  was  at  last  to  be  yielded.  Finally  one  of  them 
really  made  a  step  forward  and  entered  the  door.  The  two  others 
then  had  the  same  process  to  go  through  with  each  other,  but  made 
their  evolutions  rather  faster,  and  got  through  rather  sooner.  At 
length  all  three  were  under  way  ;  and,  with  their  dozen  servants  and 
ourselves,  there  was  a  considerable  procession  marching  up  tho 
stairs. 

After  the  same  ceremonials  had  been  performed  as  to  which  should 
be  first  seated,  their  boys  handed  the  pipes,  lighted  them,  and  the 
three  mandarins  commenced  smoking.  They  could  only  take  one,  two 
or  three  puffs  before  the  pipe  must  be  replenished.  This  was  done  by 
one  servant  taking  the  pipe  and  passing  it  to  another,  who  removed 
the  bowl,  blew  out  the  ashes,  refilled  it  with  fresh  tobacco,  and  re- 
turned it  through  the  first  servant  to  the  mandarin.  The  servant  then 
applied  the  fire,  and  the  smoking  was  resumed. 

While  they  were  eating  they  used  their  pipes  several  times.  They 
all  three  —  the  Hiquan  (judge),  the  Hihong  (governor  of  the  custom-1 
house),  and  the  Chambdo  (the  general  in  the  army)  —  sat  up  to  the 
table,  drank  tea,  and  partook  of  the  cakes  and  sweetmeats.  The 
Hiquan  appears  to  enjoy  himself  very  well,  and  is  much  more  lively 
than  the  other.  His  rank  is,  I  think,  higher  than  the  governor's,  and 


AX10Y. STORM    IN   THE    CHANNEL.  337 

the  judge  also  ranks  before  the  governor ;  but  the  official  position  of  the 
governor  is  superior  to  either.  The  Taoutai  who  came  yesterday  is  the 
govornoi.  The  admiral  is  now  away. 

The  mandarins  examined  some  daguerreotype  likenesses  of  Mr.  Doty's 
family,  which  they  had  never  seen  before  ;  but  expressed  very  little  sur- 
prise, and  evinced  little  or  no  knowledge  of  the  art.  These  men  all 
appear  to  be  very  well  disposed,  good-natured,  lively  and  social  ;  but 
their  national  character  has  always  proved  deceitful. 

They  remained  fur  an  hour  looking  at  the  various  things  about  the 
room,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  their  visit  very  well.  They  made  many  in- 
quiries about  America  ;  and,  though  they  could  but  see  that  our  ai. 
and  science  were  far  in  advance  of  theirs,  still  in  their  own  niinds 
they  seemed  not  to  admit  it ;  and  though  they  professed  to  meet  aa 
equals,  their  countenances  indicated  a  feeling  of  superiority,  so  firmly 
does  prejudice  seem  to  have  rooted  itself  in  them. 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

TRIP    ACROSS    THE    CHANNEL.  RAMBLE    UPON    THE    HILL.  —  VISIT    TO    THE 

SIX    ISLANDS. EQUIPMENT    OF    THE    RECEIVING-SHIPS.  —  SAIL    FOR    FOU- 

CHOW. STOP    AT    CHIN-CHEW. CONTINUANCE   OF    THE    PASSAGE. 

THURSDAY,  Oct.  25(h.  — Mr.  McRay  and  I  dined  together  alone,  Mr. 
Tait  being  absent.  After  this,  Mr.  Clark,  who  was  wrecked  in  the 
"  Sarah  Trotman,''  accompanied  us  to  the  island  Colonsu.  Crossing  the 
channel,  we  walked  and  climbed  the  high  rocks  as  far  as  we  could  get, 
taking  various  views  of  the  island.  At  dark  we  reached  our  boat  to 
return,  and  the  prospect  looked  as  dark  as  the  evening.  The  wind  blew 
hard  ahead,  but  we  thought  we  would  try  to  cross,  and  set  out.  The 
tide  was  strong,  and  the  spray  and  water  occasionally  dashed  over  up. 
We  made  about  one  third  of  the  way  across,  and  still  seemed  to  go 
through  the  water,  but  not  to  get  ahead.  The  boatman  pulled  and 
tugged  for  about  an  hour,  without  effecting  anything  except  to  go 
astern,  and  we  rendered  our  assistance  ;  but  this,  if  anything,  only 
increased  the  difficulty.  We  were  finally  carried  back  to  the  island  and 
nearly  thrown  on  to  the  rocks,  but  finally  got  back  to  the  place  from 
whence  we  started.  Our  clothes  were  wet,  and  we  were  chilly  ;  and  to 
keep  ourselves  warm  we  spent  an  hour  or  two  in  •walking,  when,  the 
23 


838  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

wind  having  much  subsided,  we  started  again,  and  reached  home  in 
safety  to  tea,  about  nine  in  the  evening. 

Friday,  Oct.  26th.  —  While  I  was  out  to-day,  one  of  the  chair 
coolies  ran  against  a  box  by  the  side  of  the  way,  and  knocked  the 
chair-handles  from  his  shoulders,  letting  me  down  with  considerable  of 
a  crash  on  to  the  hard  pavement.  He  was,  however,  the  most  fright- 
ened, and  directly  started  on  again. 

In  the  evening  I  made  some  calls  ;  and,  returning  from  Dr. 
Hyslop's  at  the  late  hour  of  twelve,  I  had  again  to  encounter  the  gates 
with  their  small  apertures.  I  found  the  house  closed  at  Mr.  Tait's, 
and,  not  desiring  to  disturb  him,  knocked  only  once,  and  wa.s 
about  returning  to  Dr.  H.'s,  when  I  heard  footsteps  ;  waiting  a 
little,  Mr.  T.  came  and  gave  me  admittance.  The  merchants  are 
sometimes  obliged,  to  keep  the  keys  of  the  house  themselves,  or 
their  Chinese  servants  would  be  coming  in  and  going  out  during 
the  whole  night. 

Saturday,  Oct.  2~th.  —  I  was  out  early  this  morning,  determined, 
after  seeing  Capt.  Milne,  and  receiving  his  permission,  to  go  on  board 
of  his  ship  at  the  Islands,  and  wait  a  vessel  up  from  Hong-Kong  for 
Fou-chow.  Four  vessels  have  been  expected  for  over  a  week  ;  but  the 
high  winds  have  prevented  their  arrival,  if  not  taken  by  pirates,  which 
Capt.  M.  somewhat  fears. 

Towards  evening  I  walked  alone  on  the  hill,  but  found  nothing  new 
in  my  rambles.  A  little  Chinese  girl  followed,  at  some  distance,  from 
curiosity,  I  suppose,  to  look  at  me.  If  I  turned,  my  head  towards  her, 
she  would  whirl  and  run  back  like  a  wild  deer  ;  but  when  I  was  walk- 
ing on,  I  could  hear  her  laughing  and  talking  with  her  acquaintances 
a  few  rods  behind.  As  I  stopped  to  observe  an  old  man  mending 
shoes  on  the  side  of  the  street,  a  crowd  gradually  collected,  and  among 
them  I  noticed  the  same  little  girl  exhibiting  her  courage  by  showing 
those  around  that  she  dared  to  run  across  about  two  rods  in  front  of 
me,  and  daring  some  of  the  others  to  do  it.  Desiring  to  remove  their 
timidity,  I  took  out  a  few  cash  and  offered  to  her.  She  did  not 
dare  approach  near  enough  to  take  them,  but  manifested  a  wish  that 
Borne  other  person  would  get  and  hand  them  to  her,  or  that  I  would 
throw  them  on  the  ground  to  her.  A  Chinaman  present  tried  to  pcr- 
guade  her  to  go  and  take  them.  At  last  I  pretended  to  be  as  much  in 
fear  of  her  as  she  was  of  me,  holding  them  out  to  her  and  at  the 
same  time  shrinking  behind  one  of  the  bystanders.  By  degrees  she 
approached  nearer  and  nearer,  and  again  ran  back  ;  then,  seeing  my 


THE    SIX    ISLANDS.  339 

apparent  fear,  she  stepped  up  quite  boldly  and  took  the  cash  from  my 
hand.  After  this,  numbers  of  others  were  quite  anxious  to  approach 
me. 

Seeing  what  appeared  to  be  very  nice,  white,  hard-looking  skeins  of 
twine,  in  bunches,  on  a  stand  by  the  way,  and  having  long  wished  to 
obtain  such  an  article,  I  bought  three  skeins,  paying  two  cash  for 
each.  This  seemed  remarkably  cheap,  and  I  thought  of  purchasing  a 
quantity  ;  but,  in  making  a  trial  of  its  strength,  it  broke  like  cotton 
shreds.  I  then  examined  it  more  closely,  and  found  it  to  be  something 
very  different  from  twine;  and,  making  motions  that  I  wished  it  for 
tying  parcels,  the  man  signified  that  it  was  chow-chow  [something  to 
eat].  I  then  perceived  that  it  was  made  from  rice,  and  something  like 
vermicelli. 

With  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Hyslop,  and  Miss  Stronach,  I  took  a  sail 
around  the  island  of  Colonsu,  a  distance  of  about  four  miles.  Having 
a  delightful  breeze,  and  a  beautiful  moonlight  evening,  we  enjoyed  it 
much.  Dr.  II.  amused  me  with  his  pleasantry  while  out,  joking  Miss 
S.  and  Mrs.  II.  upon  their  fear  of  upsetting,  etc.  Returning  a  little 
after  dark,  AVC  had  dinner,  which  we  enjoyed  with  capital  appetites. 
After  this,  with  our  flutes  and  the  aid  of  the  piano,  we  made  a  little 
music,  and  at  nine  p.  M.  I  went  home,  determined  not  to  give  Mr.  T. 
cause  this  time  for  charging  me  with  disturbing  him  at  unseasonable 
hours. 

LETTER   TO   BROTIIER   J. 

Six  Islands,  Jlmoy,  Oct.  28. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  J.:  I  am  now,  through  the  kindness  of  Capt. 
Milne,  on  board  the  "  Pathfinder,"  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  go 
up  to  Fou-chow.  With  Mr.  Bradley  and  Mr.  McRay  I  walked  this 
morning  to  see  the  house  which  is  to  be  Mr.  B.'s  residence,  and  then 
through  some  of  the  streets,  visiting  a  number  of  shops  around 
home.  I  took  leave  of  Mr.  T.,  who  I  think  ought  to  be  glad  to  part 
with  me,  having  given  up  his  own  room  to  me,  and  taken  another  for 
himself.  I  called  at  Mr.  Priestman's,  and  then  came  down  with  Capt. 
Milne  in  his  boat  to  the  "  Pathfinder  "  at  the  Islands.  There  are 
two  other  receiving  ships  here  ;  the  "  Royalist,"  Capt.  Browning,  and 
the  "  Lord  Amherst,"  Capt.  Fish. 

Tiie  Six  Islands  lie  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  here,  and  serve  as 
a  breakwater,  so  that  it  is  comparatively  smooth  inside.  They  are  little 
else  than  large  masses  of  rocks.  One  of  them  has  a  Josh-house  on  it, 
and  a  short,  sandy  beach  ;  and  on  its  rough  and  rocky  peak  is  a  signal- 
station  for  vessels  coming  in.  We  went  on  shore  at  night,  and 
walked  up  to  this  flag  station.  The  beach  is  of  soft  sand,  and  cuvi-red 
with  shells  to  the  high-water  mark;  but  they  are  of  an  ordinary 


340  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

kind  Horses,  hogs,  cows,  etc.,  are  kept  on  this  island  for  the  use  of 
the  ship.  The  surf  runs  so,  that  to  prevent  being  wet  we  had  to  be 
carried  from  and  to  the  boat.  The  Chinese  boatmen  took  us  on  their 
backs,  astride  of  their  shoulders,  —  we  sitting  on  their  necks,  —  and 
thus  carried  us  through  the  surf  to  the  dry  land  ;  and  in  like  manner 
they  place  us  in  the  boat  again. 

October  29//t.  —  I  have  again  been  on  shore  with  Captain  Milne,  and 
•walked  on  the  island.  There  is  an  old  fortification,  which  had  one 
side  blown  out  by  the  English  during  the  war.  On  the  island  next  to 
this  are  another  iortih'cation  and  three  look-out  places,  appearing  to  the 
eye  here  like  three  narrow-shaped  hay-stacks. 

The  weather  has  changed  very  much  since  I  came  here.  The  mon- 
soon from  the  north-east  blows  very  strong.  The  thermometer  has 
fallen  to  62°,  nearly  twenty  degrees ;  so  that,  instead  of  sleeping  with 
uo  covering  at  all,  a  thick  woollen  blanket  is  necessary. 

The  "  Pathfinder  "  is  a  fine  vessel  for  a  receiving-ship.  Three  large 
cabins  extend  the  whole  length  of  the  ship,  with  several  small  state- 
rooms, which  make  it  seem  like  a  fine  house  on  shore,  instead  of  a 
ship  on  the  water.  They  keep  it  in  very  nice  order,  and  all  things  in 
readineu  for  an  attack  from  the  pirates.  Several  guns  are  kept  on 
deck,  constantly  loaded  with  grape-shot  and  cannon-balls,  and  even 
primed  and  pointing  out  of  the  port-holes.  There  is  also  a  rack  of 
muskets,  swords  and  hatchets  ;  and  the  muskets  are  kept  loaded.  In 
each  of  the  tops,  some  forty  feet  from  the  deck,  arc  stands  of  muskets 
and  ammunition  ;  so  that,  should  they  be  driven  to  the  rigging  during 
a  conflict,  the  firing  may  be  directed  from  thence  to  the  deck.  Around 
the  outside  of  the  vessel  is  a  rope  net-work,  to  prevent  the  ship's  being 
boarded  in  a  sudden  attack,  and  to  keep  out  robbers  at  night. 

Looking  into  the  room  of  Mr.  Bradshaw,  the  first  officer,  I  thought" 
him  well  provided  with  weapons  ;  for  fastened  on  the  wall  were  several 
pairs  of  loaded  pistols,  a  loaded  double-barrelled  gun,  several  hatchets, 
a  sword,  &c. 

A  year  and  a  half  ago,  near  here,  the  pirates  attacked  two  receiv- 
ing-ships, which  had  large  cargoes  of  opium  and  specie  on  board,  mur- 
dering the  crew  and  officers.  Only  one  man  —  a  lascar  —  escaped,  and 
ho  is  now  on  board  of  the  "  Pathfinder." 

Sunday,  November  ±th.  —  I  attempted  to  read  last  night  in  my  ham- 
mock, but  the  swinging  motion  occasioned  sickness,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  give  it  up.  The  "  Denia  "  came  in  this  morning,  seven  days  from 
Hong-Kong,  and  I  went  on  board,  but  found  no  letters. 

Monday,  November  5th.  —  I  saw  Captain  Barcham  this  morning, 
and  engaged  my  passage  with  him  in  the  "  Denia."  He  said  he  did 
not  care  to  take  passengers,  and  did  n't  make  anything  by  them  ;  but 
if  1  wanted  to  go,  he  would  take  me,  out  of  accommodation.  The 
distance  is  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  price  of  passage  fifty  dollars. 

At  hall-past  ten  A.  M.  the  "  Denia  "  sailed,  and,  with  a  good  breeze, 
we  passed  up  the  coast.  I  was  up  occasionally  on  deck;  hut,  on 
account  of  the  blustering  state  of  the  weather,  and  the  motion  of  the 
vessel,  I  had  to  keep,  the  most  of  the  time,  in  a  horizontal  position 


CIIINT-CHEW    HARBOR.  341 

below.    At  evening  I  vomited  for  the  first  time,  from  sea-sickness,  since 
leaving  America. 

Chin-chew  Harbor,  Tuesday,  6th. — I  rose  at  seven.  I  slept  none 
last  night,  being  annoyed  by  numberless  little  ants  crawling  over  me, 
which,  with  my  sickness  and  the  rolling  and  pitching  of  the  vessel, 
was  quite  enough  to  prevent  sleep. 

Wo  had  a  quick  passage  up,  arriving  at  the  Chin-chew  station  at 
about  twelve,  —  two  hours  over  one  day.  In  entering  the  harbor  the 
vessel  ground  over  a  sunken  rock,  but  did  no  harm.  The  country 
along  the  coast  presents  a  very  barren  and  gravelly  appearance,  is  very 
mountainous,  and  produces  no  green  vegetation ;  but  is  all  of  a  dry 
brown  color. 

There  are  two  receiving-ships  lying  here  in  Chin-chew  harbor, — 
one  the  "  Louisa,"  Captain  King,  and  the  other  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Miller.  Receiving-ships  are  established  at  each  of  the  ports  all 
the  way  between  Canton  and  Shanghae,  and,  I  believe,  for  some  dis- 
tance below  and  above  these  places.  They  are  owned  by  the  mercan- 
tile firms  at  Canton,  and  constitute  the  business  places  of  those  houses 
at  the  different  ports.  With  the  amount  of  opium  and  silver  which 
they  often  have  at  a  time,  it  would  not  be  safe  to  have  an  establishment 
on  shore ;  and  the  vessels  themselves  are  sometimes  surprised  and  cap- 
tured, of  which  a  number  of  melancholy  instances  testify.  As  soon 
as  we  came  near  the  anchoring-place,  Captains  Miller  and  King  came 
on  board  and  received  their  letters  and  papers.  Towards  night  we  all 
dined  on  board  the  "  Louisa,"  with  Captain  King,  after  which  we 
went  ashore  for  exercise  and  recreation.  There  Captain  K.  furnished" 
me  with  a  horse,  and,  the  other  three  captains  mounting  theirs,  we 
started  off  at  a  gallop,  rode  along  the  beach  for  several  miles,  and 
returned  in  single  file  by  a  narrow  path,  twisting  and  winding,  up  and 
down,  through  an  uncultivated  waste. 

Captain  K.  invited  me  to  stay  on  board  with  him,  while  I  remained 
here  ;  which  politeness  I  was,  of  course,  happy  to  accept,  being  entirely 
dependent  on  hospitality  in  these  parts.  As  Captain  B.  does  not  go 
any  further,  I  must  remain  at  Chin-chew  till  an  opportunity  occurs 
for  going  on  to  Fou-chow-foo. 

Wednesday,  November  7th.  —  After  breakfast,  with  Captains  K.  and 
B.  I  went  on  shore  for  the  purpose  of  gunning.  After  a  long  ram- 
ble over  a  inarsh,  and  through  the  fields,  we  returned  satisfied.  Cap- 
tain K.  shot  one  bird,  the  only  one  that  was  killed.  We  all  dined 
with  Captain  Miller,  after  which  we  went  ashore  for  a  ride.  We  rode 
up  the  beach  and  into  the  country,  which  presented  quite  a  sterile 
appearance.  The  houses  and  people  looked  very  poor.  When  on  our 
way  out  we  had  to  pass  a  dry  creek,  which  on  our  return  the  tide  had 
filled  with  water;  but  our  horses  got  through,  with  something  of  a 
wetting.  The  captains  have  a  small  yard,  in  which  they  raise  live- 
stock for  their  own  use.  We  looked  in,  and  saw  quite  a  variety  ;  — 
hogs,  sheep,  goats,  geese,  ducks,  chickens,  pigeons,  and  monkeys. 
They  here  find  it  very  difficult  to  obtain  food  for  their  horses,  there 
being  no  hay  in  the  vicinity.  At  present  the  feed  of  all  kinds  is  so 
29* 


342  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

scarce  that  they  are  obliged  to  feed  the  stock  —  monkeys  and  all  — 
with  boiled  rice. 

I  went  back  with  Captain  M.  to  his  ship,  and,  as  the  wind  was 
high,  and  the  sea  rough,  I  concluded  to  remain  through  the  night. 

Thursday,  November  8th.  —  I  returned  on  board  of  Captain  King's 
vessel,  to  remain.  I  was  prepared  to  go  up  in  the  "  Gazelle,"  a  little 
schooner  which  goes  up  to  I'ou-chow  occasionally  with  stores  for  the 
receiving-ships.  But  it  was  supposed  I  had  concluded  otherwise,  and 
the  only  sleeping  place  for  my  accommodation  was  occupied  with 
goods. 

While  riding  with  Captains  M.  and  K.,  this  afternoon,  my  horse  had 
a  fall.  I  have  thought  about  it  many  times  since,  and  I  cannot 
imagine  how  it  could  have  happened.  The  horse  was  walking  leisurely 
witli  the  others,  a  little  distance  in  advance  ;  and,  having  just  passed 
a  Chinese  village,  I  turned  my  head  around  to  look  back  at  a  troop 
of  boys  who  were  hallooing  after  us,  and  the  next  moment  I  found 
myself  sprawling  on  the  hard  ground,  a  number  of  feet  before  the 
horse,  which  also  was  rising  to  his  feet  again.  The  Chinese  boys 
acted  as  if  they  were  looking  for  such  an  occurrence.  There  might 
have  been  a  cord  stretched  across  the  path  ;  but  I  perceived  nothing 
of  the  kind. 

Friday,  November  $th. —  The  "  Denia,"  in  getting  off  this  morning 
for  Hong-Kong,  run  ibul  of,  and  carried  away  the  jib-boom  from,  Cap- 
tain King's  vessel.  One  of  the  men  was  severely  hurt.  On  examin- 
ing his  arm,  I  found  it  not  broken,  but  severely  bruised. 

Saturday,  November  10th.  —  Captain  King  has  exercised  the  crew 
of  his  vessel  in  firing  the  muskets  and  cannon.  The  men  fired  tho 
muskets  at  a  glass  bottle  thrown  into  the  water,  and  the  cannon  at  a 
buoy  anchored  a  few  hundred  yards  off. 

JMCWS  came  by  land  from  Hong-Kong  that  fifty  piratical  junks  had 
been  lately  taken  by  the  English  vessels  of  war. 

Monday,  November  12th.  —  This  afternoon  I  went  ashore,  and  took 
a  ride  on  horseback.  The  weather  begins  to  be  cold.  Chinese  mer- 
•  chants,  in  their  long  blue  frocks,  are  on  board  every  day,  busy  in 
making  their  purchases.  Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   A   SISTER. 

Chin-chew,  China,  JVbv.  14th, 

MY*  DEAR  SISTER  E.  :  I  have  read  nearly  all  this  day.  The  weather 
is  very  cold  ;  it  pinches  me  up,  and  I  have  no  thick  clothing  here.  A 
Chinese  tailor  is  employed  for  me  on  blue  coarse  cotton  cloth,  the  only 
material  that  can  be  obtained  here ;  but  these  men  are  so  dilatory  I 
fear  the  clothing  which  was  promised  yesterday  will  not  be  completed 
before  I  shall  be  obliged  to  leave.  I  expected  to  have  been  in  Hong- 
Kong  by  July,  where  all  my  clothing  is. 

The  "  Zephyr,"  Captain  Brown,  arrived  this  afternoon,  and  leaves 
again  to-morrow.  Captain  B.  and  tho  rest  of  us  went  on  shore  and 
took  a  horseback  ride  after  dinner. 

Thursday,  li)lh. — Weather  very  cold.     Captains  K.,  B.,  and  iny- 


TINGHAE   BAT.  343 

self,  breakfasted  with  Captain  M.  on  board  of  his  vessel.  The  wind 
blows  too  hard  for  us  to  leave  for  Fou-chow  to-day,  so  that  we  shall 
remain  till  to-morrow  forenoon.  When  on  shore,  after  dinner,  I  saw 
some  Chinamen  ploughing.  One  of  them  held  the  plough  by  a  single 
handle,  and  two  other  Chinamen  were  the  oxen  to  draw  it. 

Friday,  Iblh.  —  We  all  took  breakfast  on  board  the  "  Zephyr  "  this 
morning,  and  at  eleven  A.  M.,  although  the  weather  was  unpropitious, 
we  stood  out  of  the  harbor  for  Fou-chow.  Captains  Miller  and  King 
accompanied  us  a  few  miles,  returning  in  their  sail-boat. 

The  wind  blows  quite  hard  this  afternoon,  and,  the  sea  being  pretty 
high,  the  "Zephyr"  dances  about  considerably,  —  too  much  so  fur 
my  comfort.  We  passed  a  few  red,  rusty-looking  villages,  along  the 
barren  shore,  which  we  kept  in  sight  till  evening.  The  night  promises 
to  be  dark  and  stormy. 

Saturday,  \lth.  —  We  came  to  anchor  in  Tinghae  Bay  about  eleven 
this  forenoon,  finding  that  we  were  making  very  little  headway  against 
the  wind  and  tide.  Several  junks  (of  pirates,  they  may  be)  are  also 
here  at  anchor.  The  hills  and  country  look  as  sterile  as  can  be 
imagined. 

The  last  night  was  wild  and  fearful.  I  went  on  deck  after  dark, 
and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  I  could  hold  up  and  keep  on  my 
feet.  I  was  quite  dizzy  when  below,  which  would  most  pi-obably  have 
been  followed  by  sickness,  and  I  remained  on  deck  most  of  the  time. 
It  was  blowing  a  gale  from  the  north-east,  and  very  cold.  The  star's 
were  all  hid  behind  the  dark  clouds,  the  moon  was  upon  the  other  side 
of  the  globe,  and  all  around  was  so  dark  that  neither  shore  nor  sky 
could  ba  discerned.  The  scenery  of  the  ocean  was  difl'erent  from  any- 
thing seen  before.  All  the  light  observable  was  the  phosphorescent 
flash  from  the  seas  as  they  lashed  one  upon  the  other.  Wherever  a 
sea  broke,  the  surface  was  beautifully  illuminated.  The  water  was  aa 
if  actually  on  fire.  Sometimes  it  was  a  long,  narrow  strip,  like  a  river, 
undulating,  and  running  to  a  great  distance  ;  then  a  broad,  irregular 
shape,  separating  into  a  variety  of  forms  and  figures.  On  every  side 
patches  of  the  fiery  sea  were  frantically  dancing  and  leaping,  pursuing 
each  other,  with  here  and  there  a  dash,  and  the  vanishing  flash,  while 
the  .sides  of  the  vessel  and  the  wake  behind  were  one  continued  stream 
of  lire,  as  if  ploughing  through  a  bed  of  buried  embers. 

I  did  not  once  sleep  during  the  night,  so  many  thundering  sounds 
were  there  constantly  assailing  my  ears,  —  such  as  tramping  on  deck, 
pulling  of  ropes,  flapping  of  sails,  screeching  of  teakle-blocks,  and 
the  cries  of  the  crew ;  the  dashing  of  the  waves,  the  sea  breaking  over 
the  decks,  the  howling  of  winds  through  the  rigging  ;  then  the  vessel's 
rolling  and  pitching,  the  cracking  of  timbers  and  squeaking  of  joints, 
and  the  tremblings  from  end  to  end,  as  a  heavy  sea  struck  her. 

I  felt  a  little  anxiety  when  I  reflected  on  our  situation  ;  but  this 
morning  all  was  sale,  except  that  a  few  hens  were  drowned,  and  souio 
planks  were  carried  away  from  both  bows  of  the  vessel. 

Tinyhae  Bay,  Sunday,  November  l$th.  —  The  weather  does  not  per- 
mit of  our  moving  out  to-day,  and  so  we  must  be  content  to  remain, 
however  much  wo  may  uisiike  it.  There  are  comparatively  lew  houses 


344  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

to  be  seen  on  shore,  and  these  are  built  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  one 
above  another.     The  country  looks  very  desolate. 

There  are  some  fifteen  or  twenty  junks  here  at  anchor  ;  and  yester- 
day Captain  Brown  fired  off  the  large  cannon,  scattering  the  canister- 
shot  over  the  water,  for  the  double  purpose  of  keeping  the  guns  in 
order,  and  to  let  the  Chinamen  know  that  he  had  guns  on  board. 

Monday,  \§th.  —  This  morning,  the  weather  permitting,  we  were 
under  way  at  four  o'clock.  Several  of  the  junks  left  at  the  same 
time,  evidently  that  to  pirates  they  might  appear  to  be  under  our  pro- 
tection. In  two  or  three  hours  we  had  distanced  them  so  much  that 
they  were  almost  out  of  sight  astern.  This  forenoon  we  passed  two 
very  suspicious-looking  junks,  having  many  men  on  their  decks.  One 
appeared  to  avoid  us  by  keeping  as  far  away  from  us  as  possible.  The 
captain,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  such  vessels,  at  once  pronounced 
them  "  West  coasters  "  (pirates).  They  would  not  dare  to  attack  a 
foreign  vessel,  unless  they  could  bring  some  twelve  or  twenty  junks  to 
hear  against  it. 

We  beat  up  along  the  coast  among  innumerable  inlands,  which, 
with  the  hills  on  the  main  land,  produced  a  very  picturesque  appear- 
ance, though  mostly  covered  with  a  barren  soil. 

At  one  place  there  was  a  pagoda  nine  stories  high,  and  on  several 
of  the  high  hills  a  kind  of  square  tower,  or  fort.  Some  of  the  islands 
were  masses  of  large  rocks  tumbled  into  heaps  of  pyramidical  shape  ; 
some  of  them  were  single  solid  rocks,  like  large  mounds  ;  some  were 
covered  with  a  species  of  red  clay,  and  on  others  the  rocks  were  in 
such  position  that  one  could  easily  imagine  them  the  ruins  of  ancient 
castles.  Some  of  the  islands  near  the  main  laud  had  deep  bays  and 
inlets. 

At  dusk  we  came  to  anchor  at  Pienau,  at  the  entrance  of  some 
straits,  where  were  three  or  four  scattering  junks.  One  of  these 
looked  so  suspicious  that  the  captain  armed  a  boat,  and  sent  the  mate 
on  board  to  ascertain  if  she  was  a  pirate.  He  took  with  him  twelve 
of  the  best  men,  with  loaded  muskets,  pistols,  and  cutlasses.  He 
returned,  and  reported  that  she  was  a  trading  junk  from  Shanghae. 

About  ten  o'clock  this  eve,  one  of  these  junks,  at  anchor  a  consid- 
erable distance  off,  pulled  up  her  anchor,  and  made  directly  for  our 
vessel ;  but  she  merely  cast  some  burning  Josh-paper  into  the  sea,  and 
came  to  anchor  close  by  us.  What  her  object  was  we  could  not  tell. 

We  passed  among  rocks  during  the  day,  which  were  just  discernible 
at  low  water,  disclosing  the  dangers  in  navigating  these  waters. 

Yours,  &c., 

B.  L.  B. 


A    BAD    PILOT. ACCIDENT.  345 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

PASSAGE  TO  F0t>(  HI  >W   CONTINUED. ARRIVE   AT    MINN    RIVER   STATION. 

SPORTING     ON      M10RE.  BOAT     TRIP    UP    THE     RIVER.  DISAGREEABLE 

POSITION     (>:>'     LANDING    AT    1OUCHOW.  WALK.     IN     THE     CITY.  FOU- 

CHOW    BRIDGE. 

TUESDAY,  November  20(h.  —  We  weighed  anchor  this  morning  at 
about  five  o'clock,  to  make  a  passage,  by  the  aid  of  a  Chinese  pilot, 
through  the  straits.  Soon  after,  I  perceived  a  queer  motion  to  the 
vessel,  and,  upon  going  on  deck,  discovered  that  he  had  run  us 
aground.  Whether  he  did  it  with  the  intention  of  making  us  a  wreck, 
that  lie  might  profit  by  the  spoils,  we  could  not  know ;  but  all  the 
time  the  junks  lay  a  little  way  off,  watching  us. 

The  vessel  went-  up  and  down,  striking  on  the  bottom,  while  the 
captain  manoeuvred  to  get  her  off.  A  small  anchor  was  carried  out 
in  the  boat  some  distance,  and  dropped  astern.  Attaching  the  rope  to 
the  windlass,  and  winding  it  up  with  handspikes,  it  drew  the  vessel 
astern.  She  was  at  last  clear,  and  the  captain  ran  her  back  to  the 
anchorage,  there  to  wait  till  the  weather  should  be  more  favorable. 
Captain  Brown  determined  not  to  attempt  to  go  through  the  straits 
again,  but  to  go  outside.  Could  we  get  through  the  straits,  we  should 
pass  inside  of  the  islands  under  cover  of  the  land,  thus  avoiding  a  high 
sea  and  the  force  of  the  strong  north-east  winds  ;  but  now,  by  the 
other  way,  we  must  go  out  to  sea,  and  encounter  the  bad  weather. 

The  old  pilot  was  put  ashore  on  the  first  island  to  shift  for  himself, 
—  a  proceeding  which  he  did  not  much  relish,  but  to  which  he  was 
obliged  to  submit.  The  first  officer  wanted  to  tie  him  up  in  the  rigging, 
and  give  him  a  dozen  or  two  ;  but  he  was  suffered  to  go  free,  with  the 
loss  of  the  greater  portion  of  his  fee,  for  false  pilotage. 

Some  junks  which  had  left  came  back,  and  anchored  near  us,  with 
the  expectation,  it  would  seem,  that  we  should  go  to  pieces  ;  in  which 
case  they  would  easily  have  made  us  their  victims,  and  reaped  a  rich 
harvest  from  the  wreck.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  old  pilot  was 
in  league  with  them,  and,  if  he  had  succeeded  in  his  plans,  would 
have  come  in  for  a  large  share  of  the  spoils. 

Mr.  Morris,  the  mate,  went  on  shore  to  buy  provisions  and  watt-r. 
He  tried  to  obtain  a  bullock,  but  they  asked  sixteen  dollars,  —  four 
times  the  sum  paid  for  one  at  Chin-chew.  He  said  that  the  old  pilot 


346  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

had  pawned  his  blanket  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  something  to  eat. 
The  old  man  was  treated  rather  severely  ;  but  the  captain  was  much 
incensed  at  his  pretending  to  pilot  the  vessel  up,  and  hazarding  a 
valuable  cargo,  when  he  was  incompetent.  We  got  under  way  in  the 
afternoon,  leaving  the  infested  spot,  and  anchored  ten  miles  below, 
under  "  Observatory  Island,"  ready  for  an  early  start  on  the  morrow  ; 
but  the  awful,  jarring,  earthquake-like  sensations  of  a  vessel  striking, 
I  shall  not  forget. 

Wednesday,  21st.  —  We  were  off  early  this  morning,  with  heavy 
sea,  and  the  wind  blowing  hard.  I  was  nearly  sea-sick  all  day,  but 
kept  about.  Poor  old  "  Blazes,"  one  of  the  captain's  two  dogs,  has 
been  washed  overboard.  No  one  saw  him  when  he  went ;  but  the  saa 
was  sweeping  over  the  deck  all  the  forenoon,  and  he  is  gone. 

We  have  beat  up  against  a  head  wind,  passing  a  few  miles  beyond 
"  Turnabout  Island."  Although  sailing  fast,  we  gain  very  little,  hav- 
ing both  wind  and  tide  to  buffet.  The  coast,  as  usual,  continues  hilly, 
barren,  and  rocky. 

Minn  River,  Thursday,  November  22d.  —  Here  I  am  at  the  opium- 
station,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Minn  river,  upon  which  the  city  of 
Fou-chow  is  situated.  We  arrived  this  forenoon,  seven  days  from  Amoy, 
but  the  delay  by  stopping  at  Chin-chew  made  in  all  eighteen  days. 

We  have  fine  weather,  and  it  was  very  comfortable  coming  into  the 
river  after  so  much  rough  weather.  The  entrance  is  very  pretty,  with 
broad,  smooth  water,  and  high  hills,  with  a  little  appearance  of  verdure 
upon  them,  which  is  the  first  I  have  seen  between  Amoy  and  this. 

We  dined  on  board  of  Captain  Heley's  vessel,  where  I  met  Captain 
Crawford,  and  also  Mr.  Druit,  of  the  "  Gazelle."  Mr.  D.  arrived 
yesterday,  he  having  been  two  weeks  on  the  passage.  After  din- 
ner, we  all  went  on  shore  for  a  walk.  To  guard  against  surprise,  one 
man  followed  behind,  with  loaded  musket,  pistols,  hatchets,  &c.  We 
wound  around  on  the  sides  of  the  hills,  which  are  terraced  off  for 
cultivation  almost  to  their  very  tops,  and  planted  with  sweet-potatoes. 
These  hills,  with  their  terraces,  and  the  few  small,  scattering  pines, 
look  very  pretty  from  the  vessel  ;  and  from  the  hills  the  view  of  the 
river  below  is  beautiful. 

While  on  shore,  we  met  a  group  of  Chinamen,  one  of  whom  ad- 
dressed Captain  C.  in  order  to  intercede  for  his  friend.  This  man's 
friend,  with  several  others,  had  attacked  a  Chinaman  on  the  river, 
some  few  weeks  ago,  and  robbed  him  of  eight  dollars  that  belonged  to 
Captain  C.,  who  had  not  been  able  to  arrest  him  till  a  few  days  since, 


SPORTING.  —  A    FRIGHTENED    CHINAMAN. 


347 


when  lie  took  him  on  board  of  his  own  vessel,  and  put  him  in  irons. 
This  friend  of  the  robber  had  now  come  to  pay  the  money,  and  solicit 
his  liberation.  Captain  C.  received  the  money,  but  refused  at  present 
to  let  the  man  go,  determining  to  make  an  example  of  him  ;  for  the 
river  is  badly  infested  with  pirates. 

\Vo  spent  the  evening  with  Captain  Heley  on  board  his  vessel. 

Friday,  23<l.  —  Taking  a  cup  of  chocolate,  we  formed  a  little  party 
of  Captains  Brown  and  Heley,  Mr.  Druit  and  myself,  and  set  off  in 
two  boats  up  the  river  to  shoot  ducks  and  geese,  which  arc  at  times 
very  plenty.  As  the  sun  arose,  the  scenery  on  the  river  -was  very  pic- 
turesque. We  saw  a  few  flocks  of  ducks  and  curlews  ;  but  all  the 
game  we  killed  Captain  II.  shot,  which  was  one  cm-lew,  they  being 
shy  at  our  approach. 

Returning  at  nine  in  the  forenoon,  we  went  ashore  again  at  twelve 
u.  to  shoot  pheasants  ;  but  we  travelled  a  long  way  over  the  hills, 
among  the  tombs,  and  graves,  and  small  pines,  without  seeing  any 
pheasants,  or  game  of  any  kind. 

As  we  stood  upon  a  hill,  with  our  guns  on  our  shoulders,  looking  at 
the  river  scenery,  a  Chinaman  appeared,  hallooing  to  us,  and  seeming 
in  much  trepidation  about  something.  As  he  approached,  he  con- 
tinued to  call  out,  placing  his  hands  on  his  breast,  bowing  and  chin- 
chinning.  He  seemed  to  be  fearful  that  Ave  might  shoot  him.  Finding 
that  we  should  not  harm  him,  he  came  up,  and  led  off  a  favorite  bul- 
lock, which  he  was  afraid  we  were  going  to  kill. 

The  view  from  these  heights  was  very  pretty.  The  hill  was  all  ter- 
raced to  the  plain  below,  where  the  ground  was  regularly  laid  out 
into  rice-fields.  In  our  walks  we  saw  a  number  of  large  snake-skins 
which  had  been  lately  shed,  but  none  of  the  animals  which  had  lived 
in  them.  Passing  through  a  little  grove  of  bamboo  after  pheasants,  I 
shot  obscurely  at  one  which  flew  down  from  a  tree.  Hastening  up,  I 
found,  instead  of  a  pheasant,  that  I  had  mortally  wounded  a  white 
hen.  Seeing  afterwards  that  we  were  near  a  village,  I  thought  it 
best  to  find  the  owner  and  recompense  him,  whoever  he  might  be,  as 
the  neglect  of  this  caution  on  my  part  might  be  the  means  of  creating 
fresh  prejudices  towards  foreigners,  when  it  should  be  discovered. 
Accordingly  men,  women  and  children,  were  called  out,  and  it  was  ex- 
plained to  them  what  I  had  done.  One  wrinkled-faced  old  woman  sput- 
tered about  a  good  deal,  and  claimed  the  hen.  I  paid  her  twenty-five 
cents,  which  she  received,  and  then  held  up  two  of  her  bony  fingers,  sig- 
nifying that  she  wanted  twice  that  sum.  I  had  already  paid  her  twice 


343  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

the  worth  of  the  hen ;  and  when  those  around  saw  that  I  waa 
acquainted  with  the  current  price,  they  waved  their  hands  to  her, 
intimating  that  it  was  sufficient,  and  the  old  woman  took  the  hen 
under  her  arm,  making  signs  of  much  satisfaction.  The  whole  party 
of  Chinese  then  moved  oil",  laughing,  talking,  and  bestowing  upon  us 
their  signs  of  approbation,  like  so  many  children. 

Saturday,  Nov.  24/A. — I  arose  at  four  to  go  on  board  of  the 
"Zephyr, "and  soe  Captain  Brown  off  for  Hong-Kong;  but,  a*  ho 
was  already  dropping  down,  I  sent  him  the  forty  dollars  for  my  pas- 
sage up  from  Chin-chew,  and  went  to  my  rest  again. 

I  saw  the  Chinaman  prisoner  and  robber,  who  was  sitting  on  deck 
in  irons.  He  was  an  ugly-looking  fellow,  and  some  of  his  friends 
were  on  board  endeavoring  to  obtain  his  release  ;  but  the  captain  is 
not  yet  ready  to  let  him  go. 

At  two  P.  M.  I  went  on  board  a  Chinese  smuggling  boat,  to  go  up 
the  river  thirty  miles,  to  Fou-chow.  The  view  along  the  river  was 
very  fine.  Chinese  boats  were  sailing  to  and  fro.  On  both  Rides 
were  mountains  of  every  form  and  shape,  presenting  terraces,  tem- 
ples, forts,  pagodas,  and  tombs.  There  were  men  at  work  in  the 
fields,  and  quarrying  stone  from  the  steep  mountain-bank ;  clusters 
of  rusty  red  houses,  surrounded  by  and  interspersed  among  green 
foliage,  and  villages  scattered  about  the  mountain  base. 

It  being  quite  cold  in  the  evening,  I  found  Captain  C.'s  cloak, 
which  he,  more  considerate  than  myself,  had  loaned  me,  to  bo  of 
great  service.  Towards  dark,  the  Chinamen  on  board,  who  numbered 
over  twenty,  fixed  their  rough  guns  and  matchlocks  into  the  sides  of 
the  boat,  and  lighted  their  matches.  I  could  see  no  reason  for  this 
movement,  and  in  my  endeavors  to  ascertain  we  could  not  under- 
stand a  word  with  each  other  ;  but  I  presumed  it  was  not  the  sight  of 
pirates,  but  the  anticipation  of  their  sudden  appearance.  We  arrived 
at  the  city  about  eight  in  the  evening,  with  no  interference. 

LETTER   TO   SISTER   M. 

Fou-chow,  J\~ov.  25/A. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  When  I  left  Captain  Crawford  yesterday,  he 
gave  the  necessary  directions,  to  one  of  the  Chinamen  on  board,  how 
to  proceed  with  me  when  we  should  arrive  at  Fou-chow  ;  which  was, 
to  conduct  me  to  one  of  the  missionaries,  who  were  the  only  foreign- 
ers living  there,  except  an  English  consul,  who  lived  at  a  considerable 
distance  within  the  city. 

In  the  evening,  as  we  came  in  among  the  hundreds  of  junks  and 
thousands  of  boats,  and  heard  the  jargon  of  the  multitude  of  Chincsa 


ARRIVAL    AT    FOU-CHOW.  349 

voices,  I  knew  that  the  masses  of  houses  which  I  could  observe,  piled 
in,  one  upon  the  other,  and  standing  out  in  all  directions,  must  be 
Fou-chow.  I  wished  to  ask  the  question,  but  no  one  could  under- 
stand me.  KI  simply  said.  "  Fou-chow?  "  to  them,  and  pointed  to 
the  city,  they  would  only  laugh  or  look  stupid  ;  or,  if  they  were  a 
little  brighter  than  usual,  they  would  say  a  long  string  of  something 
which  I  could  not  understand.  I  thought  it  a  crazy-looking  place, 
but  still  I  wished  to  know  if  it  was  Fou-chow.  If  it  was,  where  were 
we  to  land  ?  or  had  we  got  to  go  up  three  or  four  miles  further '.'  in 
what  direction  did  the  missionary  live  ?  and  who  was  to  show  me  the 
way?  I  waited  patiently  to  watch  the  progress  of  things;  and, 
by  and  by,  one  of  the  Chinamen  commenced  talking  to  me.  I  could 
not  understand  a  word,  but  answered  "yes"  to  everything;  and, 
as  the  boat  made  preparations  for  stopping,  he  made  signs,  pointing 
to  my  baggage.  I  could  not  see  who  the  Chinaman  was  in  the  dark, 
and  was  suspicious  of  his  intentions  ;  but  my  baggage  was  placed  on 
board  of  a  sampan  which  came  alongside,  and  a  woman  held  out  her 
hand  to  assist  me  into  it.  I  hesitated  at  first,  till  I  should  know 
where  I  was  going,  or  till  I  might  ascertain  if  they  knew  where  I 
wished  to  go.  But,  not  being  able  to  make  myself  understood,  and 
knowing  that  I  must  make  a  push  in  some  direction,  I  took  the  hand 
of  the  woman,  and  stepped  over  the  side  into  the  boat.  I  made  signs 
to  those  around,  and  they  to  me  ;  but  neither,  I  suppose,  understood 
the  other.  I  saw  my  trunks  all  safe,  and  had  my  revolver  in  my 
pocket,  to  frighten  them,  should  they  attempt  to  take  any  advantage 
of  me.  My  trunks  being  landed,  I  knew  not  what  course  to  take.  I 
could  not  leave  my  baggage  alone  to  wander  about  in  this  strange 
place  in  search  of  the  missionaries,  and  stood  reflecting  for  a  few 
minutes,  when  I  observed  one  of  the  Chinamen  who  came  in  the 
boat  very  officious  about  my  baggage,  and  taking  it  up  to  carry  it 
off.  I  stopped  him,  not  knowing  where  he  intended  to  take  it,  and 
not  wishing  to  go,  bag  and  baggage,  to  a  stranger's  house,  before 
knowing  whether  I  could  there  be  accommodated.  I,  therefore,  gave 
him  my  card,  motioning  him  to  take  that  to  the  house  first. 

He  took  it  and  went,  I  having  little  faith  that  he  would  understand 
the  meaning  of  it.  Returning  shortly  with  another  man,  and  taking 
my  baggage,  I  allowed  them  to  go  on,  and  followed,  knowing  that 
they  could  not  make  my  position  much  worse. 

We  passed  through  one  dark  street  and  turned  into  an  alley, 
which  led  into  a  little  open  square,  among  some  Chinese  houses  ; 
the  men,  striking  a  light,  carried  it  inside  of  a  house,  where  the 
owner  was  not  at  home.  I  asked  the  servants  whose  house  this  was. 
They  made  some  incomprehensible  signs,  and  I  found  that  I  could 
get  no  information. 

I  considered  it  very  strange  that  the  servants  to  a  foreigner  should 
understand  no  words  of  English,  and  began  to  think  that  Chinese 
lived  here.  I,  however,  soon  discovered,  by  the  appearance  of  the 
furniture,  that  the  dwelling  belonged  to  some  foreigner,  and  concluded 
that  the  owner  must  be  one  of  the  missionaries,  and  was  out,  on  a 
or  for  a  walk. 


350  CHINA    AND    MAN'n.T.A. 

The  servant  placed  my  bed  in  an  adjoining  room,  and  was  proceed- 
ing to  make  it  up  on  an  empty  bedstead,  when  I  stopped  him,  not 
wishing  to  take  possession  in  that  way.  I  expected  every  minute  to 
see  the  owner  come  in,  and  did  iiot  wish  that  he  should  think  he  was 
turned  entirely  out  of  the  house. 

I  seated  myself,  waiting  for  the  owner  to  return.  Captain  C.  had 
assured  me  that  we  should  be  at  Fou-chow  long  before  dark,  so  that 
1  did  not  anticipate  such  a  predicament. 

I  waited  till  I  thought  it  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock  at  night.  The 
r:  irvant  had  brought  me  four  oranges  to  eat,  and  water  to  drink,  for 
which  I  paid  him.  I  was  hungry,  and  ate  one  of  the  oranges,  which 
was  very  sour,  and  was  quite  sufficient.  The  dog  here  was  in  rap- 
tures to  see  me,  jumping  about,  turning  somersets,  and  making  the 
room  resound  with  the  knocks  of  his  short  tail  on  the  floor.  One 
light  had  gone  out,  the  other  was  nearly  gone,  and  I  was  chilled  with 
cold  ;  and  yet  no  one  came.  I  found  that  I  must  make  a  shift  soon, 
or  be  left  alone  in  the  darkness.  I  accordingly  wrote  on  a  card, 

"  To  the  owner  of  this  house.  —  Dear  Sir :  I  am  a  stranger  here, 
and  have  taken  possession  of  a  room  which  the  servant  has  shown  me 
into,  for  the  night.  Please  excuse.  Yours,  respectfully, 

"  Fou-chow,  November  25th.  B.  L.  BALL." 

I  left  this  note  upon  the  table  for  the  gentleman  to  see  when  he 
should  come  home,  and  sat  a  little  longer  reading  a  paper  which  I 
had  in  my  pocket.  I  felt  particularly  lonely,  cold  and  shivering,  for 
it  was  decidedly  a  cold  night,  and  no  fire.  The  dog  sat  looking  anx- 
iously into  my  face,  as  if  he  had  not  eaten  the  whole  day  ;  and,  at 
every  ruffle  of  my  paper,  he  made  the  room  ring  with  the  violent 
thumpings  of  his  short  tail.  I  stepped  out  to  get  the  poor  animal 
something  to  eat,  if  I  could  get  nothing  for  myself.  There  were  few 
lights  left  in  the  streets,  and,  after  groping  in  intricate  alley-ways,  I 
thought  It  prudent  to  return  without  anything.  My  light  was  in 
its  last  glimmerings,  and  no  person  had  come  to  claim  an  ownership. 
I  began  seriously  to  think  of  retiring  to  bed,  but  did  not  wish  to 
before  ascertaining  whether  my  host  was  a  foreigner  or  a  Chinaman. 
The  furniture  was  very  meagre  for  an  occupied  house,  and  half  of  it 
was  Chinese.  There  were  no  books  or  papers  to  indicate  the  residence 
of  a  missionary ;  but  then  the  dog  evidently,  as  he  was  not  afraid  of 
me,  had  some  knowledge  of  foreigners  ;  I  could  come  to  no  decision. 
The  servants  had  gone  to  their  rest  in  a  room  outside,  and  everything 
around  was  still,  like  death,  except  the  frequent  lonesome  drummings 
of  the  dog's  short  tail. 

I  went  into  the  room,  fastened  the  door,  and  made  up  a  bed  as 
well  as  I  could  ;  for  there  were  no  sheets  nor  blankets,  and  only  a 
bed,  mattress,  and  pillows.  However,  with  the  aid  of  Captain  C.'s 
cloak,  and  my  large  mosquito-net,  I  fixed  a  tolerable  covering. 

Putting  my  revolver  under  my  pillow,  I  arranged  myself  upon  my 
bad  just  as  the  candle  was  expiring,  and  tried  to  compose  myself  to 
sL'ep  ;  but,  expecting  every  moment  to  hear  the  entering  of  the  owner 


FOU-CnO"W. MISSIONARIES    AND    THEIR    FARE.  351 

of  the  house,  being  chilled  with  cold,  and  hearing  the  thumping  of 
the  dog's  short  tail  every  time  I  moved  or  coughed,  sleep  was 
removed  1'ar  from  me.  I  got  up  and  fixed  some  pieces  of  cloth  on  tho 
floor  for  the  dog  to  lie  on,  after,  which  the  animal  could  not  disturb 
me  by  tho  knocking  of  his  tail,  and  I  slept  some,  though  con- 
fusedly. 

Sunday,  Nov.  25th.  — The  morning  came,  and  a  knock  at  the  door, 
with  voices  outside,  awoke  me.  Presuming  that  the  owner  had  come, 
I  went  to  the  door,  and  there  saw  a  Chinaman  with  a  note  for  mo, 
which  proved  to  he  from  one  of  the  missionaries,  asking  me  to  follow 
the  man,  and  to  breakfast  with  him  at  his  house. 

Soon  after,  a  gentleman  appeared,  introducing  himself  as  Mr. 
McClay,  an  American,  lie  had  received  my  card,  and  had  written  the 
note.  I  explained  to  him  my  dilemma,  when  he  told  me  that  the 
house  I  had  occupied  was  Capt.  Crawford's,  which  lie  kept,  in  order  to 
have  rooms  to  come  to  when  he  visited  the  city,  which  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  doing  occasionally.  So  I  got  out  of  my  difficulty  more 
easily,  and  much  more  satisfactorily,  than  I  expected.  I  went  with  Mr. 
McClay  to  his  house,  which  stands  on  a  hill  in  the  suburbs,  overlook- 
ing the  city  on  one  side,  and  the  surrounding  country  on  the  other. 

I  breakfasted  with  him  at  nine,  and  remained  till  three  p.  M.,  when  I 
accompanied  him  to  the  missionary  meeting  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Baldwin. 

After  dining,  we  took  a  short  walk  around  to  a  pretty  hill,  which  ia 
covered  with  tombs,  graves,  and  a  few  pine  clumps.  At  the  distance 
of  five  or  six  miles  on  one  side  of  this,  and  ten  on  the  other,  the  view 
is  walled  in  by  high  mountains.  Below  us,  commencing  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  and  extending  to  the  north,  lies  the  city,  which  the  Fou-chow 
river  divides  into  two  unequal  parts.  The  population  is  estimated  at 
about  a  million,  or  about  that  of  Canton. 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  28th. — Yesterday  we  made  several  calls  at  the 
houses  of  the  missionaries,  and  at  two  P.  M.  dined  at  Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin's. 

II  is   veranda   has   a   view   overlooking    the  river   and   an   extensive 
boat  population.     The  missionary  fare  reminds  me  much  of  that   in 
America,  —  plain  and  simple,  but  good,  and  with  very  little  of  the 
Chinese  mixtures  in  it. 

This  morning,  at  nine  A.  M.,  I  set  out,  with  Rev.  Mr.  McClay  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Richards,  to  walk  around  the  city,  and  to  call  on  Mr.  Jack- 
son, the  English  consul.  We  crossed  two  bridges  built  entirely  of 
!"' "\vn  stone,  one  of  which  is  called  the  "  Great  Fou-chow  Bridge,"  or, 
in  Chinese,  "  the  bridge  of  ten  thousand  ages." 

Passing  through  a  crowded  street  in  the  suburbs,  where  we  WITO 
continually  jostled  by  the  multitude,  we  came,  at  the  distance  of  three 
mil,  s,  to  the  city  gate,  which  ia  protected  by  four  towers.  Entering 


352  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

the  gateway,  which  I  should  say  was  fifty  feet  thick,  and  built  of  solid 
stone,  we  came  into  a  square  space  which  seemed  formed  as  a  place 
of  defence  to  the  gate.  Passing  through  this,  we  came  to  another  gate 
of  similar  dimensions,  which  admitted  us  into  the  city. 

Ascending  the  walls,  which  were  about  fifteen  feet  thick,  we  paw.'d 
through  one  of  the  towers  where  several  Chinamen  were  twisting  a  kind 
of  twine.  These  towers  contain  a  large  space  inside,  in  which  guns 
are  kept  for  the  defence  of  the  city  ;  but  in  the  mean  time  the  rooms 
are  occupied  as  lofts  for  twisting  thread  or  twine.  Stopping  a  few 
moments  to  allow  them  to  examine  the  cloth  of  our  coats,  we  passed 
along  around  on  -the  wall.  It  was  very  warm,  and  we  quenched  our 
thirst  with  as  many  oranges  as  we  could  eat,  paying  for  them  one  fifth 
of  a  cent  a  piece.  My  shoes  were  so  broken  that  I  could  hardly  keep 
them  on  my  feet,  which  added  much  to  my  discomfort.  But  I  can  get 
no  others  short  of  Hong-Kong,  and  must  wear  them.  Descending  the 
wall  and  passing  a  short  distance  through  streets,  we  ascended  a  hill, 
and,  entering  by  some  open  buildings  which  were  formerly  attached  to 
a  temple,  came  to  the  consulate. 

Mr.  Jackson's  family  consists  of  himself,  wife,  and  two  daughters. 
They  received  us  very  cordially,  and  made  themselves  very  agreeable. 
They  had  visited  Boston,  and  spoke  of  that  city  with  much  interest, 
and  of  the  kindness  they  had  received  from  Mr.  Winchester  and 
family,  and  others  there.  We  had  a  pleasant  conversation  of  an  hour. 

The  buildings,  all  being  upon  a  hill,  command  a  fine  prospect  owr 
the  city  and  surrounding  country.  The  hill  formerly  was  the  seat  of 
a  large  pagan  temple,  of  which  some  portion  of  the  buildings  still 
remain.  We  remained  there  to  tiffin,  Mr.  J.  inviting  me  to  come  and 
spend  a  few  days  with  them,  when  we  resumed  our  walk,  concluding 
not  to  make  the  whole  circuit  of  the  city,  the  weather  was  so  hot. 

We  passed  along  near  the  wall,  looking  into  the  shops.  They  offered 
us  tea  at  one  shop,  and  the  pipe  to  smoke.  The  inmates  were  very  curi- 
ous in  their  inquiries  about  me,  —  my  name  ;  how  old  I  was  ;  when 
I  came ;  where  I  came  from  ;  what  I  was  going  to  do  ;  how  many 
brothers  I  had  ;  how  old  my  father  was,  etc.;  but,  what  seems  queer, 
they  never  ask  about  my  sisters,  and  seldom  about  my  mother.  This 
inquisitiveness  is  very  irksome,  until  a  person  knows  that  it  is  Chinese 
custom,  and  not  impertinence. 

The  shops  were  more  numerous  and  more  extensive  than  I  have  gen- 
erally found  before.  On  stopping  for  a  few  minutes  at  one,  a  croud 
would  collect  around  us,  and  nearly  block  up  the  street.  As  we  walked 


FOO-CHOW    BRIDGE.  353 

along  the  streets  they  would  stop  and  look  after  us,  as  we  should  do  if 
un  elephant  was  being  led  through  our  streets.  Children  would  run 
along  ahead,  telling  their  friends,  and  gaze  at  us,  standing  along  our 
way.  They  are  not  so  fearful  of  foreigners  here  as  in  some  other  cities. 
The  beggars  are  very  importunate,  following  us  in  such  numbers  and 
so  closely  that  we  had  to  turn  and  drive  them  off.  One  of  the  party 
told  them  that  if  they  came  to  his  house  he  would  give  them  something 
to  eat.  They  did  not  regard  this,  but,  trotting  along,  would  follow 
for  miles,  touching  our  elbows,  running  before  us,  and  getting  con- 
stantly in  our  way.  Their  plan  was  to  annoy  us  in  these  various  ways 
till  we  gave  them  cash  to  get  rid  of  them,  which  they  then  take  to 
the  temples  and  gambling-houses,  and  gamble  away.  The  mission- 
aries, on  account  of  the  trouble  it  caused,  do  not  now,  as  formerly,  give 
them  anything  in  the  streets.  Every  day,  more  or  less,  the  beggars 
come  and  receive  something  at  their  houses.  My  shoes  chafing  my 
feet,  compelled  me  to  take  a  chair  home.  The  people  seem  pretty  well- 
disposed,  few  using  any  insult  towards  us,  though  many  were  very 
coarse  in  their  manners. 

The  bridges  over  the  river  are  about  twelve  feet  wide  ;  and  nearly 
one  half  of  one  side  is  taken  up  with  stands  for  selling  confectionery, 
toys,  clothing,  etc.,  so  that,  with  the  multitude  crossing  back  and 
forth,  coolies  with  their  burthen,  merchandise,  chairs,  boards,  planks, 
poles,  etc.,  it  makes  a  crowded  mass  to  get  through. 

I  was  home  at  three  p.  M.,  and  took  tea  at  seven  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Peet,  spending  the  evening  with  him,  and  there  meeting  Capt.  Craw- 
ford, who  came  up  last  night.  Capt.  C.  was  amused  at  my  adventures 
in  his  house.  I  told  him  that,  had  I  known  it  was  his  house,  I  should 
have  had  a  much  more  comfortable  night. 

Thursday,  Nov.  2$th.  —  Rev.  Mr.  White  called  this  morning,  and 
invited  me  to  take  a  sail  with  him  up  the  river.  We  went  in  his  cov- 
ered boat,  with  three  Chinamen  at  the  oars,  passing  leisurely  along,  and 
a  little  beyond  the  upper  bridge.  Mr.  W.  had  his  gun  with  him,  and 
occasionally  we  had  a  shot  at  the  wild  fowl  with  which  the  river 
abounds.  There  were  to  be  seen  many  ducks,  herons,  white  paddy- 
birds,  large  birds  of  the  crane  species,  cormorants  and  buzzards,  though 
we  could  not  get  very  near  them. 

We   had  a  fine   opportunity  to  view   the   far-famed    "  Fou-chow 

Bridge,"  which  is  built  entirely  of  stone,  and  has  stood  the  freshets 

of  SOUK)  hundreds  of  years.    It  has  twenty-nine  arches  or  spans,  though 

I  Ijfliove  some  enthusiastic  writer  has  given  it  one  hundred.     Some  of 

30* 


354  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

the  stone  slabs  or  sleepers  must  be  of  great  \vcight,  measuring  from 
forty-five  to  sixty  feet  in  length,  three  feet  in  width,  and  two  and  a 
half  thick.  Spanning  from  pier  to  pier,  it  seems  almost  remarkable 
that  they  should  resist  their  own  weight.  One  has  been  broken  and 
fallen  into  the  water,  and  another  has  been  lately  replaced,  it  bi;ing 
raised  into  its  proper  position  by  making  use  of  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  tide.  The  stone  slab  was  floated  up  the  river  crosswise  upon 
a  junk  to  near  the  bridge.  Temporary  piers  were  built  under  each  end 
of  the  stone,  and  when  the  tide  fell  it  rested  on  them.  The  junk 
tiding  lowered  a  number  of  feet  by  the  same  cause,  the  middle  of  the 
stone  underneath  was  blocked  up  from  the  deck.  When  the  tide  rose, 
the  vessel,  blocking  and  slab,  were  lifted,  and  at  the  height  of  the 
tide  the  blocking  was  added  to  at  each  end  on  the  piers  holding  it ; 
and  then  again  at  the  middle  when  the  tide  was  down.  In  this  way, 
after  it  was  high  enough,  the  boat  was  floated  into  the  opening,  and 
fastened  with  the  slab  poised  above  its  intended  bed,  when,  as  the  tide 
receded,  the  slab  lowered  itself  into  its  place.  The  bridge,  with 
another  layer  crosswise,  was  near  six  feet  thick  of  stone.  There  are 
also  low  stone  railings  on  the  sides.  The  tide  in  the  river  is  very 
strong.  Even  at  this  distance,  —  about  thirty  miles  from  the  sea, — 
the  boatmen  had  to  make  two  attempts  before  we  could  get  through 
the  bridge,  the  water  running  like  a  sluice-way  underneath,  and 
carrying  us  down  the  stream. 

We  went  several  miles  up  the  river,  occasionally  landing,  and  took 
short  walks  along  the  shore.  Pretty  groves  of  olive-trees,  the  guava 
an  1  pumalo,  attracted  our  attention.  The  river  is  very  wide,  and 
constantly  widening  from  the  banks  washing  in.  It  seems  now 
almost  like  a  long,  irregular  lake.  Quantities  of  timber  and  rafts  are 
fastened  all  along  the  shore.  Mr.  W.  shot  a  cormorant  and  a  paddy- 
bird,  and  I  shot  a  buzzard.  Arrived  home  at  two  p.  u. 


FOU-CHOW. HORSEBACK-HIDING    ON    THE   CHEAT    WALL.       355 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

LETTER    TO   A   SISTER.  —  CHINESE    CULPRIT. — RIDE    AND   WALK    ON    THE 
CITY    WALLS.  —  CHINESE  TROOPS.  —  TARGET-SHOOTING. HOT  SPRINGS. 

THEATRE. AUDIENCE.  RETREAT. CHINESE   LADIES. 

LETTER   TO    SISTER   L. 

Fou-chow,  China,  Nov.  292A. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  To-day  Mr.  McClay  and  I  dined  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Peet  and  his  family,  meeting  there  the  other  missionaries.  There 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  ;  Mr.  White,  from  New  York,  who  entirely 
adopts  the  Chinese  costume,  and  passes  very  well  for  a  real  Chinese  ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peet,  from  Vermont ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cummings,  from 
New  Hampshire.  Mr.  McClay  is  from  Concord,  Pa.  The  mission- 
aries here  are  all  cheerful,  adopting  mirth  and  pleasantry  at  their 
meals,  and  in  hours  of  recreation  ;  and  in  conversation  are  quite  en- 
tertaining. They  have  family  worship  morning  and  evening. 

Friday,  Nov.  30th.  —  Mr.  J.,  the  English  consul,  sent  his  sedan- 
chair  down  for  me,  and  I  went  up  to  his  house  to  make  a  short  visit. 
At  the  dinner-table  I  had  a  long  and  very  agreeable  conversation  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.,  and,  in  the  evening,  passed  up  into  the  sitting-room, 
which  is  in  a  separate  building,  and  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps  out- 
side. These  buildings  were  formerly  a  Chinese  temple  ;  but  they  have 
been  converted  into  a  residence,  and  this  is  now  the  most  commanding 
seat  in  the  city. 

As  I  came  up  to-day  I  saw  a  Chinese  prisoner  sitting  on  the  side  of 
the  street,  chained,  and  with  a  large  square  board  about  his  neck.  He 
*ras  placed  there  to  serve  as  an  example  to  others,  for  some  offence  he 
had  cumniitted.  He  looked  so  demure,  and  so  ridiculous,  that  I  could 
not  help  laughing,  though  he  seemed  to  think  it  no  laughing  matter. 
The  board,  called  the  canque,  was  very  thick  and  heavy,  and  made  in 
two  halves,  to  shut  closely  about  his  neck,  and  confined  by  a  padlock. 

Saturday,  Dec.  1st.  —  I  walked  about  the  grounds,  and  upon  the 
hill  adjoining  the  place,  where  I  had  a  fine  view  of  all  parts  of  the 
city.  Towards  night,  with  Mr.  J.,  I  took  a  horseback  ride  upon  the 
city  wall.  He  had  two  fine  horses,  and  we  rode  to  the  north  a  dis- 
'a  lire  of  about  three  miles,  passing  through  five  or  six  towers. 

It  seems  singular  to  speak  of  riding  horseback  upon  the  wall ;  but 
it  is  a  very  good  place  for  such  exercise,  and,  I  believe,  the  only  place 
whore  Mr.  J.  can  ride.  The  top  of  the  wall  is  fashioned  like  a  wide 
trench,  both  of  the  sides  being  walled  up  with  parapets  several  feet 
high.  The  towers  are  built  in  the  walls,  and  rise  above  them,  with  a 
passage  through,  and  gates.  Some  of  them  have  cannon  planted 
within  —  large,  rusty,  clumsy -looking  things.  One  of  the  towers  has 
a  gate,  which  is  lot  down  or  drawn  up,  commanding  the  coimnunica- 


356  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

tion  of  a  canal  beneath,  which  is  arched  over  with  stone,  supporting 
the  tower  above,  and  is  a  great  thoroughfare,  where  boats  pass  in  or 
out  of  the  city  under  the  wall. 

It  was  dark  on  returning,  and  I  rode  in  fear  of  breaking  my  neck, 
as  we  had  to  pass  up  and  down  steep  places,  and  several  long  flights  of 
stone  steps  ;  but  the  ponies  were  sure-looted,  and  acquainted  with  the 
ground.  Some  of  the  gates  were  closed,  and  the  boy,  who  followed  on 
loot,  attended  to  their  being  opened,  which  was  readily  done  by  the 
Chinese  keepers.  Some  of  the  towers  had  no  lights  in  them,  and  in  ono 
the  guns  lay  scattered  about,  and  I  feared  my  horse  would  fall  over 
them,  or  come  in  contact  with  the  posts  ;  for  I  could  see  nothing  )>i:t 
darkness. 

Sunday,  Dec.  2d.  —  I  took  an  early  walk  at  sunrise,  with  the  two 
young  Misses  J.,  about  in  the  garden.  How  much  I  enjoyed  this  hour 
in  their  intelligent  company,  the  ramble  to  the  rocky  pinnacle  of  the 
hill,  the  culling  of  flowers,  the  botanizing  of  them,  and  the  accents  of 
their  happy  voices  in  conversing,  laughing,  and  prattling  !  We  went 
in  to  breakfast  at  ten  A.  M.  The  consul  reads  prayers  every  Sunday  in 
the  drawing-room,  which  I  attended  ;  and  then  read  the  Scriptures  an 
hour  —  my  usual  custom  on  the  Sabbath.  At  the  close  of  the  day  I 
took  a  horseback  ride  on  the  walls. 

During  the  evening,  hearing  a  great  noise  without,  Mr.  J.  and  my- 
self ascended  to  the  terrace  on  the  top  of  the  house  to  ascertain  its 
cause.  We  found  it  to  proceed  from  one  of  the  towers  on  the  wall, 
in  which  there  was  a  quarrel  among  a  party  of  Chinese  men  and 
women.  Their  only  weapons  were  words,  though  most  discordant 
ones.  We  remained  upon  the  terrace,  promenading,  talking  on  Chinese 
affairs,  enjoying  a  view  of  the  dimly-lighted  city,  and  listening  to  the 
conglomeration  of  ejaculated  Chinese  voices,  till  near  twelve  o'clock. 

Monday,  Dec.  Zd.  —  To-day  I  concluded  that  I  would  make  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  city,  and  visit  the  hot  sulphur  springs  at  its  other  side. 
Taking  a  chair  and  guide,  I  set  out  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  was 
carried  upon  the  wall  three  miles,  —  as  far  as  the  hill  over  which  the 
wall  runs,  and  upon  which  it  forms  an  angle  occasionally,  — getting 
out  several  times  and  stepping  up  into  the  embrasures,  to  take  a  look  at 
the  villages  without.  The  country,  being  diversified  with  hills  and  val- 
leys, irregular-shaped  fields,  canals,  bridges,  and  large  trees,  with 
rows  of  gateways,  looked  pretty,  and  very  picturesque.  I  passed  the 
execution  ground  ;  a  square  piece  of  turfed  ground  outside  of  the  wall, 
with  one  building  on  it,  but  nothing  whatever  to  give  it  a  distinguish- 
ing character. 

In  descending  a  long  flight  of  steps,  having  sent  the  chair  back,  I 
gave  my  old  Chinaman  guide  a  run.  They  being  steep  and  smooth ,  he, 
thinking  I  could  not  stand  as  well  in  my  shoes  as  he  in  his  great 
clumsy  ones,  took  my  hand  to  assist  me.  Pretending  that  I  could  nut 
hold  back,  I  gradually  started  into  a  run  down,  and  drew  the  old  fel- 
low after  me,  much,  as  he  thought,  at  the  risk  of  his  neck  ;  he  pull- 
ing back,  with  long  exclamations,  all  the  way  down  the  flight.  1  had 
a  good  laugh  ;  and  he,  perceiving  the  trick,  bad  to  laugh  also,  though 
considerably  frightened. 


FOU-CHOW. —  TARGET-SHOOTING. HOT    SPRINGS.  357 

At  one  place  the  soldiers  were  practising  with  their  bows  and 
arrows,  —  for  the  Tartar  troops  seldom,  if  ever,  use  guns,  the  Chinese 
troops  only  using  the  matchlocks  —  guns  much  like  ours  ;  bat,  instead 
of  a  flint,  a  lighted  tow  match  is  snapped  on  the  priming.  I  took  a 
seat  upon  the  stone  railing  of  the  wall,  to  observe  them.  The  place 
was  an  open,  oblong  space,  below  the  walls  and  within  the  city.  They 
had  a  target,  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a  man,  with  a  circular  spot 
painted  on  the  breast,  placed  in  the  ground  at  the  distance  of  perhaps 
forty  or  fifty  paces.  A  mandarin  sat  in  a  chair  on  one  side,  in  all  the 
pomposity  with  which  he  could  inflate  himself,  giving  his  important 
supervision  to  the  affair.  He  reminded  me  of  a  strutting  turkey -gob- 
bler, with  its  head  drawn  into  its  feathers.  The  soldiers  were  dressed 
in  short  frocks,  with  thick  skull-caps,  clumsy,  heavy  shoes,  and  black 
leggins.  They  advanced  in  squads  and  fired,  each  six  arrows,  which 
they  carried  in  a  bundle  on  their  backs.  When  any  one  took  his  turn, 
having  fixed  the  arrow  across  the  bow,  he  stepped  forward  with  a 
spring  of  his  legs,  made  a  flourish  with  his  bow  in  both  hands,  as  if 
to  clear  the  air  of  cobwebs,  turned  mechanically  half  around,  with 
his  left  side  in  front,  raised  the  bow  with  another  flourish,  until  the 
arrow  was  at  the  height  of  his  eye,  and  pulled  the  string,  when  the 
arrow  flew  into  the  neighborhood  of  the  target.  He  then  drew  the  other 
arrows  from  his  quiver,  and  fired  the  six,  one  after  the  other  ;  then 
another  bowman,  flourishing  forward,  took  his  place.  The  arrows 
generally  went  over  the  head  of  the  target  beyond,  or  fell  on  the 
ground  a  few  feet  short  of  it,  failing  in  the  height  of  the  aim  or  the 
force  applied  to  the  bow.  When  an  arrow  did  happen  to  hit  the  mark 
and  stuck  in  the  target,  an  air  of  vain  satisfaction  was  visible  in  all  his 
actions ;  and  he  would  turn  his  face  towards  the  place  I  sat,  with  an 
"  Ar-r-r-r-h,"  and  an  expression  of  countenance  which  seemed  to  say, 
"  Ah,  that  is  the  way  we  will  serve  the  foreign  devils  !  "  I  remained 
about  half  an  hour,  till  they  were  through,  seeing  only  four  or  five 
arrows  take  effect,  and  then  resumed  my  way  upon  the  wall. 

Coming  near  the  springs,  we  descended  the  wall,  passing  out  the 
north  gate,  with  a  host  of  boys,  and  some  men,  following  in  our  rear. 
They  were  rather  noisy,  and  somewhat  boisterous,  and  a  lew  sticks  and 
small  stones  were  thrown  ;  but  they  effected  nothing  of  a  serious 
nature,  and  a  little  way  outside  of  the  walls  they  fell  off,  one  by  one. 
At  last  we  came  to  the  springs,  which  are  seven  or  eight  in  number, 
each  one  being  four  or  five  feet  in  diameter,  and  curbed  by  a  wall.  The 
water  was  so  hot  that  I  could  not  bear  my  hand  in  it.  Some  of  the 
springs  were  enclosed  under  a  kind  of  shed,  and  numbei'S  of  the  China- 
men were  bathing  there,  several  of  whom  had  eruptions  on  the  skin, 
-iii'l  some  were-  affected  with  leprosy.  In  one  of  these  pools,  which 
was  perhaps  four  feet  wide,  seven  or  eight  men,  covered  with  sores, 
were  crowded  in,  leaving  hardly  room  for  another  to  stand  in  it.  This 
spring  was  very  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur.  I  could  find  no 
suitable  place  in  which  to  take  a  bath  myself.  The  baths  seemed  to  I>e 
fully  occupied,  and  as  fast  as  one  left  another  took  his  place,  without 
any  visible  change  of  the  water. 

Again  ascending  the  wall,  we  continued  on   stopping  occasionally  to 


358  CHINA    AND    MANILLA 

rest  and  to  take  a  look  of  the  country.  A  number  of  miles  distant 
may  be  seen  high  mountains,  which  probably  are  the  chemical  labora- 
tories of  these  hot  springs. 

On  our  way  home,  on  the  side  of  the  city  opposite  to  that  which 
we  had  come,  I  observed,  from  the  wall,  a  large  temple  on  a  hill,  a 
short  distance  within  the  city,  and  took  a  stroll  up  to  visit  it.  There 
were  a  great  number  of  idols  and  priests  about,  and  some  people  were 
worshipping.  But,  not  liking  the  appearance  and  actions  of  the 
people  of  this  part  of  the  city,  we  returned  to  the  wall  again. 

At  another  place  I  discovered,  at  a  short  distance  from  us,  a  crowd 
of  people  at  what  appeared  a  temple  of  some  kind.  I  descended  from 
the  wall  slowly,  and  soon  discovered  that  the  building  was  open  in 
front,  that  it  was  a  sing-song,  or  theatre,  and  that  it  was  full  of  peo- 
ple :  the  square  in  front  was  also  crowded  full.  My  Chinaman  fol- 
lowed me  quietly  until  he  perceived  that  I  was  advancing  towards  the 
theatre,  when  he  endeavored  to  stop  me.  I  explained  to  him,  as  well 
as  I  could,  that  I  did  not  intend  to  go  in  among  them,  but  merely  to 
get  where  I  could  observe  them  a  little.  Only  one  way  led  to  it  ;  and 
I  kept  along  beside  a  high  'plastered  wall,  to  avoid,  as  much  as  possi- 
ble, being  seen  by  the  people  at  the  theatre.  I  was  soon  able  to  see 
the  actors  upon  the  stage,  dressed  in  all  their  bright  and  gaudy  colors 
and  goMen  dresses  ;  and,  on  the  left  side,  the  Chinese  ladies  in  their 
beautiful  green  and  blue  embroidered  silks.  But  I  could  not  see  as 
distinctly  as  I  wished,  and  thought  I  would  venture  a  little  nearer, 
though  my  guide  strongly  protested.  I  knew  that  I  could  remain 
where  I  was  but  a  few  moments  without  being  discovered  ;  and  that,  if 
I  went  nearer,  there  would  be  no  wall  to  screen  me,  and  we  should  be 
discovered  at  once.  It  would,  however,  be  after  I  had  secured  a  nearer 
view  ;  and,  if  it  was  necessary,  I  could  retreat  then  as  well  as  now. 
My  guide  drew  his  hand  across  his  throat,  pointing  to  them  and  then 
to  me,  to  make  me  understand  how  they  would  serve  me  ;  and  Avent 
through  various  evolutions  to  induce  me  to  return.  But  I  wished  for 
a  nearer  view,  and  walked  along  up  the  hill  towards  them.  In  a  few 
minutes  one  of  the  actors  on  the  stage  discovered  me,  and,  for  a 
moment,  stopped  and  looked  at  me  ;  then  a  man,  one  of  the  audience 
inside,  saw  me  and  looked  ;  and  then  two  or  three  of  the  actors  and 
several  of  the  audience  outside,  seeing  them  Staring  at  something, 
turned  and  looked  also.  I  continued  to  advance,  and  saw  all  eyes. 
both  inside  of  the  theatre  and  out,  turned  full  upon  me.  The  actors 
had  evidently  all  forgotten  their  parts,  and  had  come  to  a  stand.  The 
ladies  looked  the  picture  of  consternation,  and  remained  motion!, ->.^ 
as  statuary,  altogether  presenting  quite  a  natural  tableau. 

This  lasted  only  a  few  moments,  when,  the  first  feeling  of  surprise 
being  over,  the  mass  seemed  to  be  in  commotion  ;  and  yet  no  one 
moved.  Two  or  three  Chinamen,  the  tallest  of  the  crowd  outbide, 
were  vehemently  motioning  me  away  with  their  hands.  Those  sauted 
inside  had  risen,  and  one  of  them,  who,  I  presume,  was  a  mandarin. 
also  motioned  at  me  with  his  hand,  as  if  with  authority,  and  with 
great  importance.  I  kept  an  eye  on  them,  and  thought  it  would  look 
better  to  pass  by  and  continue  on  my  way  than  to  turn  back.  I  moved 


FOU-CnOW. ESCAPE    FKOM    A    CROWD.  859 

a  little  to  one  side  and  went  on  a  few  steps,  to  peo  if  there  was  an 
opening  through  beyond  them.  A  passage  extended  a  little  distance 
upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill,  and  then  seemed  to  he  closed.  Not 
wishing  to  be  caught  in  a  box  of  that  kind,  I  retraced  my  steps,  so 
that,  it  disposed,  they  should  not  cat  me  off;  for,  with  an  open  way,  L 
would  risk  my  feet  in  a  chase  against  their  heavy  shoes.  I  expected, 
however,  that  after  they  had  seen  me  a  few  minutes  their  surprise 
would  be  over,  and  they  would  become  quiet ;  but  the  longer  I  re- 
mained the  more  excited  they  became. 

The  crowd  outside  soon  began  to  move  towards  me  with  a  threaten- 
ing aspect,  and  some  of  them  came  near,  and  stood  staring  at  me.  I 
thought  it  best  to  beat  a  retreat,  but  not  a  fiying  one,  and  came  off 
the  ground  in  good  order,  —  turning  my  back  and  walking  slowly 
away,  escorted  by  a  small  company  of  Chinese  who  followed  behind. 
Wht-n  they  increased  their  speed  to  come  up  with  me,  I  increased  mine 
also  ;  so  that  I  kept  them  at  about  the  same  distance  from  me,  though 
some  of  the  boys  ran  along  by  my  side,  crying  out,  and  now  and  then 
advancing  forward  to  peep  into  my  face.  The  majority  of  those  who 
started  in  the  escort  were  left  scattered  along  the  way.  Some  went  a 
little  distance  and  then  turned  back,  and  others  stood  and  looked  until 
I  was  out  of  sight ;  and  when  I  was  upon  the  wall  again,  I  could  see 
them  on  the  hill  in  front  of  the  theatre  gazing  over  at  me.  Entering 
one  of  the  towers  which  continue  at  intervals  all  the  way  along  the 
wall,  I  saw,  near  its  centre,  a  party  of  well-dressed,  small-looted 
ladies.  Knowing  their  horror  of  foreigners,  my  first  thought  was  how 
to  avoid  them.  I  could  not  go  back  and  descend  into  the  street  below, 
for  there  I  should  encounter  the  gang  from  the  theatre.  There  was 
no  time  for  consideration  ;  and  I  concluded  that  I  would  prefer  to  take 
my  chance  with  the  ladies  than  with  the  men,  although  I  might  get 
into  some  difficulty  by  disturbing  them.  I  walked  briskly  forward  in 
a  line  directly  behind  them,  so  that  they  should  not  see  me,  prepared 
for  a  great  scream,  and  turned  one  side  to  go  past.  Their  heads  were 
uncovered,  and,  as  I  came  up,  I  saw  distinctly  several  very  pretty, 
small-featured,  doll-like  faces.  Their  hands  rested  on  each  other's 
shoulders  for  support,  and  they  tottled  along  on  their  small  feet,  like 
so  many  infants  learning  to  walk.  Their  dresses  were  of  several  differ- 
ent kinds  of  silk,  and  1  think  each  one  was  dressed  in  three  different 
colors  —  bright  green,  blue,  and  purple.  The  outside  frock  was  of 
one  color,  the  skirt  of  another,  and  the  trousers  of  another,  each 
overlapping  the  other,  contrasting  richly.  All  the  dresses  were  prettily 
figured  with  embroidery,  and  some  very  beautifully  so.  I  kept  along 
at  an  angle  a  little  outside,  watching  the  Chinamen  behind,  and  ob- 
serving what  I  could  ;  and  I  had  a  good  look  at  them,  for  1  knew  it 
could  make  the  matter  no  worse,  so  long  as  they  did  not  see  me.  Soon 
ouo  turned  her  head  towards  me,  probably  from  hearing  footsteps  dif- 
ferent from  the  Chinese.  I  was  careful  to  turn  my  head,  at  the  same 
niiiin'jnt,  towards  the  opposite  side,  as  if  I  did  not  see  them  ;  but  a 
s'TMin  of  "  Fanqui  loo  "  (foreign  devils),  or  something  similar,  fol- 
1  nvi'd,  which  was  caught  up  by  the  others  as  soon  as  their  heads  could 
turn  to  s  ;o  mu.  I  expected  thorn  to  fall  to  the  gr.vaud  in  their  fright, 


360  CHINA     ANT)    MANILLA. 

but  they  caug'it  h;>l<l  of  each  other  confusedly ,  and,  huddling  together 
and  screaming,  fioy  hoVil.-d,  as  fast  as  their  small  ftvt  and  sti'Mi--<! 
ankh's,  w.>;:ld  ad:;iit,  ini  >  a  ci>ni;T  of  the  tu\v  >r,  and  burie.l  tiivir  f.u  'S 
in  each  other  s  divs^-;-.  They  did  not  make  iialf  so  much  ado  a*  1 
had  exp -:ct.-.l  ;  hut  they  inado  enough.  Their  screams  attract 
attention  of  the  Chinese  ;  though  I  thought.  )>y  the  glimps"  L  had  of 
the  men,  that  they  seemed  to  he  rather  amused  about  it  than  oth.  r- 
wisu.  1  passed  on  out  of  the  door  of  the  tower,  aud  left  them  still 
huddled  up  in  the  corner,  with  their  fares  covered,  and  did  not 
remain  to  see  the  result.  Poor  creatures  !  I  am  sorry,  but  I  presume 
I  was  the  cause  of  broken  rest  to  them  that  night.  I  hurried  on  ; 
the  Chinamen  behind  followed  some  distance  past  the  tower,  and  the 
boys  threw  small  stones  and  sticks  at  me ;  but  I  kept  out  of  their 
way,  increasing  nay  pace  whenever  I  saw  the  distance  between  us 
being  diminished.  They  found,  after  a  while,  that  they  could  not 
overtake  me  in  their  clumsy  shoes ;  and,  giving  up  the  chase,  they 
turned  and  went  back.  I  arrived  home  at  four  in  the  afternoon, 
pretty  tired,  and,  dining,  spent  the  evening  in  a  long  and  interesting 
conversation  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson. 

Tuesday,  Dec.  4th.  —  Arose  at  seven,  and  took  a  stroll  over  the 
garden  and  upon  the  hill  with  the  dogs,  giving  them  a  chase  among 
the  rocks.  Taking  a  chair,  I  returned  to  Mr.  McClay's.  Mrs.  J.  and 
the  two  daughters  were  going  to  Nan  Ti,  a  place  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  where  the  missionaries  reside  ;  and  we  all  went  in  company. 
The  train  of  the  three  chairs,  with  the  consular  servants  following, 
attracted  considerable  attention  from  the  Chinese,  and  as  we  passed 
along  many  ran  to  get  a  peep  at  us.  They  were  the  most  curious  to 
see  the  foreign  ladies  ;  and  did  not  seem  to  perceive  any  impropriety 
in  running  along  beside  their  chairs,  holding  on  with  one  hand,  and 
putting  their  heads  round  in  front  to  get  a  good  view  of  their  faces. 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 

Thursday,  Dec.  6th.  —  After  dining  we  went,  with  Rev.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cuminings,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin,  to  look  at  the  ruins  of  a 
fire  which  we  were  called  up  to  see  at  four  o'clock  this  morning.  It 
had  broken  out  just  across  the  river,  and  was  burning  furiously.  It 
illumined  the  city  and  country  for  many  miles  around.  Fortunately 
there  was  no  wind,  the  flames  and  smoke  rising  perpendicularly 
upward,  in  one  immense  column.  The  confused  voices  of  the  Chi- 
nese could  be  distinctly  heard  with  the  crackling  timbers  and  crash- 
ing of  falling  tiles.  The  fire  ceased  only  when  it  had  burnt  itself 
out.  The  Chinese  have  no  means  of  quelling  a  fire  but  by  pulling 
down  the  buildings.  Some  of  the  Portuguese  from  the  lorehas  went 
to  the  spot,  and  assisted  very  much  with  their  axes.  We  found 
numerous  beggars  on  the  ground,  pulling  over  the  rubbish  for  nails 
and  old  iron. 

This  morning,  at  daylight,  some  of  the  Chinese  living  near  us  have  , 


FOC-CHOW. CHUSAN   MONASTERY.  361 

been  very  busy  bringing  away  trash  for  fire-wood,  and  there  is  now 
nothing  left  on  the  ground  of  any  value.  At  fires,  the  Chinese  cus- 
tom allows  any  one  to  carry  away,  without  molestation,  whatever  can 
be  found  among  the  ruins. 

Friday,  Dec.  Itli.  —  This  morning  early,  Rev.  Mr.  Collins,  Rev.  Mr. 
McClay,  and  myself,  started  off  and  made  a  visit  to  the  monastery. 
This  is  called  the  "  Chusan  Monastery,"  and  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting objects  of  its  kind.  But,  as  I  have  spoken  of  others,  I  shall 
say  very  little  about  this. 

A  covered  boat  took  us  to  a  point  six  miles  below,  upon  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river  ;  we  landed  and  walked  across  the  rice-fields, 
passing  through  two  villages.  We  then  ascended  the  mountain  by  a 
flight  of  winding  stone  steps.  Along  the  way  we  saw  Chinese  women 
and  boys  were  raking  the  sides  of  the  hills,  among  the  small  pines, 
to  gather  grass,  leaves,  &c.,  for  fire-AVOod  ;  and  others  were  carrying 
large  bundles  of  it  on  their  backs,  down  to  their  houses  in  the  village 
below.  We  arrived  at  the  monastery  about  ten,  noticing  by  the 
way  many  pretty  birds,  and  one  pheasant,  in  its  bright  plumage. 

This  monastery  is  of  the  Buddhist  order,  and  is  much  like  the  one 
at  Ningpoo.     It  is  situated  in  a  gap,  sheltered  by  the  hills,  and  almost 
enveloped  by  trees ;  but  in  front,  looking  through  the  branches,  it 
commands  a  view  of  the  river  below,  extensive  and  pretty. 
******* 

We  came  next  to  a  large  pen,  where  were  kept  a  number  of  fowls, 
geesa,  ducks,  hens,  and  cocks ;  and,  in  another  adjoining,  there 
were  some  hogs.  These  are  sent  here  by  individuals,  who,  believing 
they  perceive  something  remarkable  about  the  animals,  and  super- 
stitiously  thinking  to  do  some  great  service  to  their  Josh,  pay  the 
monks  for  keeping  them  in  the  temple.  One  goose  was  very  large  in 
eize  ;  another  had  a  broken  wing,  which  grew  hovering  over  its  body  ; 
another  had  a  peculiar  jerking  motion  of  one  leg  in  walking ;  one 
duck  was  very  long,  and  dragged  the  hinder  part  of  its  body  upon 
the  ground  ;  one  cock  had  feathers  growing  upon  its  legs  down  to  the 
feet ;  one  of  the  hogs  had  double  fore-feet,  and  others  had  other 
peculiarities. 

The  bell  of  the  monastery  appears  to  be  kept  constantly  tolling, 
striking  about  once  a  minute.  I  went  in  and  saw  an  old  monk  ring- 
ing it  ;  he  was  standing  under  the  bell,  holding  a  book  in  one  hand, 
with  the  other  hold  of  the  rope,  which  was  fastened  to  the  tongue. 
He  was  gazing  intently  into  his  book  of  Chinese  characters,  mumbling 
31 


362  CHINA    AND   MAXILLA. 

and  chanting  away  by  himself  as  if  the  fate  of  the  Chinese  nation 
was  depending  upon  what  he  was  doing,  and  now  and  then  giving 
a  convulsive  pull  at  the  bell-rope.  Other  monks  were  sitting  stupidly 
about  on  low  stools,  looking  vacantly  into  empty  space. 

"\Ve  hastened  away,  and  followed  a  crooked  path,  up  hill  and 
down,  to  a  spring,  which  is  situated  in  a  wild,  romantic  place,  among 
the  rocks  and  trees.  Chinese  characters  were  cut  into  the  high  rocks 
all  about  us.  We  visited  a  pretty  grove  back  of  the  buildings, 
where  were  a  number  of  large  tombs  rising  up,  one  above  the  other, 
on  the  slope  of  the  hill.  And  then  we  crossed  over  the  hill  back  to 
our  path,  descended  the  long  flights  of  steps,  and  arrived  home  at 
four  p.  u. 


CHAPTEK    XLII. 

LEATE  FOU-CHOW.  —  ESCAPE  OF  MISSIONARIES  FROM  PIRATES.  —  ON 
BOARD  THE  "  DENIA  "  FOR  HONG-KONG.  — CALL  AT  CHIN-CHEW.  — 
AMOY  AND  NAMOO. ARRIVE  AT  HONG-KONG. 

SATURDAY,  Dec.  8th.  —  Learning  of  the  arrival  of  the  "Denia," 
Captain  Barcham,  at  the  Minn  station,  and  that  this  will  be  my 
only  opportunity  for  some  weeks,  I  have  concluded  to  go  down  to 
Hong-Kong  in  her,  and  hastened  my  professional  and  other  engage- 
ments, dining  with  Rev.  Mr.  Cuinmings.  "Old  Long-Legs''  (a 
Chinaman,  who  goes  under  this  name  because  of  his  long  legs)  runs 
a  kind  of  express-boat,  and  is  to  take  me  doAvn  in  his  boat. 

In  the  evening  I  called,  on  my  way  to  the  boat,  at  Rev.  Mr.  Feet's, 
where  I  met  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  who  had  just  returned  from 
a  visit  to  the  north.  I  made  their  acquaintance,  as  single  people, 
while  staying  at  Ningpoo,  and  was  quite  surprised  to  see  them  here 
a  married  couple.  They  came  down  in  a  Portuguese  lorcha.  I  had 
just  time  to  hear  a  few  particulars  of  their  narrow  escape  from 
pirates.  Since  I  left  them  at  Ningpoo  they  had  occasion  to  visit 
Shanghae,  and  to  cross  that  Chapoo  bay  so  infested  with  pirates,  and 
which  I  had  crossed  a  short  time  before.  They  hired  a  Chinese  boat 
at  Xingpoo,  and  started,  During  the  first  part  of  the  passage  Mr.  J. 
was  quite  sick,  and  was  lying  down.  Mrs.  J.  being  up,  and  happen- 
ing to  understand  their  dialect,  overheard  the  boatmen  arranging  for 


LAMOIKTTS   ISLAND.  363 

their  destruction.  Mr.  Johnson  was  to  be  killed  and  thrown  over- 
board at  night,  &c.  &c.  &c.  She  immediately  communicated  the 
intelligence  to  her  husband.  They  contrived  to  make  an  excuse,  and 
to  land  as  soon  as  possible  at  a  city  on  the  Avay.  There  they  made 
known  the  facts  to  a  mandarin,  and  procured  his  assistance  in  prose- 
cuting their  journey.  The  pirates  were  not  delivered  up  to  justice, 
the  mandarin  fearing  the  revenge  of  their  pirate  friends.  Had  the 
pirates  succeeded  in  their  designs,  their  journey  would  have  included 
both  their  marriage  and  their  death  ;  they  having  been  married  but 
a  little  before,  and  this  being  their  wedding  trip. 

Bidding  adieu  to  all  my  pleasant  acquaintances  in  Fou-chow-foo, 
Rev.  Mr.  McClay  saw  me  safely  down  to  the  boat;  and  under  the 
direction  of  "  Old  Long-Legs  "  the  lights  of  Fou-chow  soon  disappeared 
from  my  sight. 

On  board  ship  "  Denia,"  coast  of  China,  Sunday,  December  Qth.  — 
Arrived  here,  at  the  Minn  River  station,  before  light  this  morning.  I 
did  not  sleep  any  on  the  way,  though  I  made  many  efforts  to  do  so  : 
and,  notwithstanding  my  new  fur  robe,  a  la  Chinese,  in  which  I  was 
enveloped,  I  was  quite  cold.  The  boat  was  small,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  curl  down  on  my  mattress,  under  the  steering-oar,  with  no  room  for 
my  head  or  feet,  and  scarcely  any  for  my  body  ;  and  "  Old  Long-Legs," 
I  fear,  was  crowded  from  his  usual  resting-place ;  for  he  occupied  a 
place  in  the  open  air,  between  the  rowers.  I  had  a  cover  above  me, 
though  open  before  and  behind,  and  was  but  little  wet  by  the  drizzling 
rain  that  came  down  in  the  night. 

The  "  Denia  "  got  under  way  at  daylight ;  but,  the  weather  being 
rainy  and  thick,  she  waa  obliged  to  return,  to  wait  till  to-morrow 
morning. 

Monday,  December  1Q(h.  —  We  were  off  again  at  daylight.  Captains 
C.  and  II.  came  on  board,  and,  taking  breakfast,  went  a  little  way 
out  with  us,  returning  in  their  boat.  As  we  got  outside,  the  sea 
became  rough,  and  we  had  a  disagreeable  day.  At  night  we  came  to 
anchor  under  the  Lamoietts  —  a  mountainous  part  of  the  coast,  if  not 
two  islands  that  appear  to  make  a  part  of  the  main  land.  We  saw  a 
fleet  of  pirates  lying  at  anchor  in  a  bay  near  the  mouth  of  the  Minn 
river.  One  junk  outside,  Captain  B.  said,  was  reconnoitring  ;  but 
they  know  the  "  Denia,"  and  other  coasting-vessels,  so  well  that  they 
would  not  make  an  attack  without  some  advantage  to  start  with. 

Captain  B.  has  given  orders  to  have  a  strict  watch  kept  to-night. 
We  are  now  at  anchor  near  the  Lamoietts  (islands)  not  far  from 


364  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

where  the  Chinese  pilot  ran  us  aground,  when  going  up,  some  weeks 
since. 

Tuesday,  December  llth.  —  At  four  this  morning  we  left  our 
anchorage,  and  in  six  hours  arrived  again  at  the  opium  station  of 
Chin-chew,  being  less  than  a  day  from  Fou-chow. 

In  the  afternoon  Captains  King  and  Miller  came  on  board  the 
"  Denia  "  and  stopped  to  dinner ;  after  which  we  went  ashore,  and  took 
a  horseback  ride.  I  spent  the  eve  with  Captain  K.,  and  at  an  early 
hour  came  back  to  the  "  Denia."  It  blows  very  hard  this  eve,  and  I 
am  very  glad  to  be  inside  the  harbor. 

Wednesday,  December  12th.  —  Breakfasted  with  Captain  M.,  and 
got  off  at  eleven  A.  M.  on  our  way  down  the  coast.  Arrived  at 
the  opium  station  at  the  islands,  off  Amoy,  at  five  p.  M.,  in  six  hours. 
Anchored,  and  went  up  to  Amoy,  with  Captain  Barcham,  in  Captain 
Priestman's  boat.  Took  tea  at  Rev.  Mr.  Doty's,  there  meeting 
Mr.  Morrison  from  the  consulate.  Eemained  at  Mr.  D.'s  over  night. 

Friday,  December  l&th.  —  Under  way  before  light  this  morning. 
Passed  Chapel  Island  —  a  large  rocky  mass,  with  a  hole  through  from 
one  side  to  the  other.  Had  light  winds  all  the  forenoon  ;  could  not 
reach  Nammo  to-day,  and  at  night  came  to  anchor  in  a  deep  bay,  with 
islands  all  around  us. 

It  is  pretty  dark,  and  a  few  lights  may  be  seen  in  different  places, 
glimmering  along  the  shore.  Many  of  the  islands  seem  to  be  only 
bare  rocks.  The  captain,  this  eve,  before  retiring,  says, 

"  Is  it  your  watch,  Mr.  Watson?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  mate. 

"  Well,  keep  a  good  look-out,  keep  half  the  men  on  deck,  —  guns 
all  ready.  If  any  boat  comes  along,  let  her  have  it.  Let  me  know, 
at  twelve  o'clock,  what  the  weather  is.  If  she  drives,  call  me." 

Saturday,  December  15th.  —  We  hoisted  the  anchor  and  sailed  at 
five ;  and  reached  Nammo,  the  opium  station,  at  eleven  A.  M.  Tho 
"Emma"  was  coining  in,  —  eighteen  days  from  Hong-Kong.  We 
loft  at  three  p.  M.,  and  dashed  along,  under  shortened  sail,  at  the  rate 
of  twelve  knots  an  hour. 

Sunday,  December  ICth.  —  Arrived  in  Hong-Kong  about  ten  this 
forenoon,  in  loss  than  two  days  and  a  half  from  Amov.  I  called  at 
Mr.  Drinker's,  and  found  there,  from  all  sources,  between  thirty  and 
forty  letters  ;  and  was  much  rejoiced  at  receiving  so  much  news  from 
home,  and  all  so  good. 


HONG-KONG.  —  A    COLLISION. BOAT-GIRLS.  365 


LETTER    TO   SISTER    H. 

Hong-Kong,  Tuesday,  December  18/A. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  H.  :  The  "  Hebar,"  Captain  J.  Patterson,  from 
California,  arrived  yesterday.  He,  as  you  know,  was  formerly  from 
Northboro,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  conversation  together.  I  have  been 
busy,  most  of  the  day,  in  my  room,  overhauling  boxes  and  trunks,  and 
attending  to  various  things.  All  are  at  the  theatre  this  evening  but 
Mr.  M.  and  myself,  and  we  have  been  enjoying  a  pleasant  chat,  all  to 
ourselves. 

Wednesday,  December  \%th.  —  I  should  have  gone  to  Canton  to-day, 
had  there  been  any  opportunity.  I  intend  to  go  there  and  to  Macao, 
and  then  to  take  up  my  departure  for  America. 

Thursday,  December  20th.  —  Took  the  steamboat  at  twelve  for 
Canton.  As  we  were  going  out  of  the  harbor,  the  steamer  bringing 
the  overland  mail  was  just  coming  in.  Much  interest,  of  course,  was 
manifested  by  the  passengers,  all  expecting  news  from  home,  and  they 
wished  the  steamboat  to  turn  back  ;  but  we  kept  on.  The  fare  to 
Canton,  including  one  meal,  is  eleven  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  At  ten 
in  the  evening  we  got  aground  within  three  miles  of  Canton,  and, 
there  being  so  many  jnnks  in  the  river,  the  captain  thought  best  to 
come  to  anchor.  Some  of  the  passengers  took  sampans  and  went  on, 
and  others  remained  on  board  till  morning.  As  there  were  some 
cushioned  seats  to  lie  upon,  1  preferred  to  remain. 

Friday,  December  2\st. —  Early  this  morning  we  found  ourselves 
on  the  way  again  ;  and,  after  all  our  anchoring  last  night,  ran  into  a 
Chinese  country  craft,  and  sunk  her.  She  was  laden  to  the  water's" 
edge  with  wood,  &c.,  and  went  down  before  we-  had  passed  her.  We 
were  going  very  slow,  and  the  bell  was  continually  rung.  I  could 
not  see  or  hear  what  became  of  the  crew  on  board.  A  great  many 
boats  gathered  round  the  scene,  catching  at  planks,  sticks,  pieces  of 
board  and  wood,  and  all  the  floating  articles,  without  looking  after 
their  fellow-beings  who  were  drowning.  A  queer  set  of  people  !  I 
asked  the  captain  if  the  steamboat  company  was  liable  for  accident 
to  the  Chinese  boats.  He  said,  "  They  pay  for  the  boat  —  that 's  all." 
So  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  said  of  the  lives  of  the  Chinese  who  are 
losfc 

A  great  noise  is  wafted  off  to  us,  as  if  there  was  a  row  among  the 
Chinese  on  shore.  Anchored  in  front  of  the  factories.  What  a 
clamor  and  cackling  there  is  among  the  boat-girls,  as  they  strive  with 
each  other  to  be  first  with  their  boats  at  the  steamer  !  They  crowd 
around  the  steps,  pulling,  pushing  and  screaming,  laughing,  scold- 
ing, crying,  hallooing,  swearing,  crowding  and  jamming,  scowling  and 
scratching,  and  only  not  actually  fighting.  It  is  a  Babel  of  confusion 
in  miniature. 

I  went  to  Acowo's  hotel  ;  found  living  there  Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman, 
a  former  acquaintance  in  America ;  and  afterwards  made  calls  on  a 
few  friends. 

Saturday,  December  22d. —  Everything  seems  so  new,  and  yet  so 
Bauiral.  that  I  wish  to  be  going  about  all  the  time  and  looking.  I 
31* 


366  CHINA    AXD   MANILLA. 

made  a  visit  with  Dr.  P.  to  his  Chinese  hospital,  and  afterwards  to 
one  of  his  patients,  —  Mr.  B.,  who  had  both  his  legs  shot  through  by 
the  Chinese  pirates,  both  bones  being  shattered  by  the  balls,  lie  is 
getting  along  remarkably  well. 

Sunday,  December  25th.  —  Christmas  day.  Christmas  dinner  with 
Dr.  H.,  meeting  there  Dr.  B.  and  family,  and  Rev.  Mr.  F.  I  remain 
at  Dr.  II. 's  over  to-night,  to  be  ready  for  an  excursion  up  the  river 
early  to-morrow  morning.  While  I  came  down  this  morning  to  Dr. 
II. 's  from  the  factories,  which  is  about  a  mile,  my  new  boy  being 
unacquainted  with  the  streets,  I  thought,  as  we  arrived  opposite  the 
gate  of  the  walls,  it  would  be  a  good  opportunity  to  make  an  attempt 
to  enter  within  the  city  ;  and  put  the  resolve  into  execution,  the  result 
of  which  was,  that  I  was  hustled  out,  as  I  had  expected.  I  knew  well 
that  it  was  prohibited  to  foreigners  ;  that  I  should,  of  course,  be  at  my 
own  risk  ;  but  the  project  had  occurred  to  me  several  times  in  passing, 
and  I  was  determined  to  go  in  some  way  or  other,  or  at  least  to  make 
tho  trial.  Desiring  not  in  any  way  to  implicate  the  boy,  as  he  might 
in  consequence  lose  his  head,  my  first  object  was  to  get  him  out  of 
sight,  so  that  he  should  not  know  which  way  I  had  gone,  and  then,  if 
I  met  with  any  difficulty,  it  might,  perhaps,  appear  to  the  Chinese 
authorities  that  the  boy  did  not  know  the  way,  and  that  I  had  got  in 
by  mistake.  So,  instead  of  passing  by  as  usual,  the  boy,  walking  ahead, 
took  the  left,  and  I  turned  directly  round,  and  mingled  in  with  the 
throng  of  Chinese  who  were  entering  by  one  of  the  principal  thorough- 
fares. Those  in  the  streets  did  not  pay  much  attention  to  me  until  I 
was  under  the  arch  of  the  gate  ;  when  I  perceived,  from  the  stir 
among  them,  that  they  were  taking  notice  of  it.  I  had  let  my  boy  get 
so  far  ahead  as  not  to  have  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  me,  to  tell  me 
that  I  was  wrong  ;  and*  I  knew  he  could  not  get  to  me,  for  the  crowd, 
even  if  he  should  ascertain  where  I  had  gone.  Once  inside,  I  paid  no 
regard  to  the  people  around  me,  but  pushed  along  quietly,  as  if  in  a 
hurry.  The  gate-keepers  called  out  to  me,  but  I  appeared  not  to  hear 
them,  and  crowded  by  one  after  the  other,  as  fast  as  I  was  able.  The 
streets  began  to  be  pretty  closely  filled,  and  I  found  it  difficult  to  get 
along.  Still  I  kept  on,  as  if  not  understanding  anything,  and  as  if 
wholly  absorbed  within  myself.  Some  of  the  Chinese  tried  to  stop  me 
by  putting  their  hands  before  me  ;  but  I  contrived  to  get  by.  I  heard 
the  frequent  calls  of,  "  Fan-qui-loa  !  fan-qui-loa  !  wilo,  wilo,  fan-qui- 
loa  !  (Foreign  Devil  !  Foreign  Devil !  Clear  out,  clear  out,  Foreign 
Devil !  ")  as  I  continued  to  crowd  through  them.  I  felt  the  hands  of 
fie  gate-keepers  patting  my  shoulders,  and  heard  their  voices  very 
ii.-.ir.  Still  I  would  understand  nothing,  —  merely  turning  my  head 
and  graciously  bowing,  and  then  pushing  ahead,  leaving  them  amazed 
buhiad.  The  people  seemed  to  pour  in  from  the  side  streets,  and,  tlio^o 
already  in  stopping,  it  began  to  be  hard  work.  The  hands  came 
oftener  on  my  shoulders,  and  with  more  pressure  ;  and  the  voices 
were  mor,;  frequent,  and  more  positive.  The  narrow  streets  could  not 
remain  long  free,  they  being  soon  thronged  by  any  excitement,  and  it 
%va,3  next  to  impossible  to  continue  to  elude  my  pursuers.  I  turned  my 
houd  often,  ana  bowed  as  politely  as  I  could,  and  with  all  due  defer- 


CANTON. TRIP  TO  GOLDEX  HILL.  367 

ence,  till  at  length  the  streets  became  so  solidly  blocked  with  people, 
and  the  demands  of  the  gate-keepers  so  imperative,  that  I  could  not 
proceed  further  without  using  more  force  than  I  thought  proper  to 
exert  under  the  circumstances.  I  also  found  a  Chinaman  on  each  side 
of  me,  whom,  from  their  authoritative  manner,  I  knew  must  be  the 
gate-keepers.  There  was  considerable  confusion  around  ;  yet  I  could 
see  that  the  city  was  similar  beyond  to  what  it  was  between  me  and 
the  gate  ;  and  I  allowed  myself,  from  necessity,  to  be  turned  around  by 
the  two  Chinamen.  As  I  looked  at  them  with  much  surprise,  I  think 
they  believed  that  I  had  got  in  by  mistake.  They  pulled  me  along, 
not  very  roughly,  but  crying  out,  incessantly,  "  Wilo  !  Wilo  !  "  In 
returning  I  had  time  to  observe  the  city,  but  found  nothing  different 
from  that  part  of  it  outside  the  walls.  I  should  say,  however,  that 
things  appeared  to  be  a  little  more  close  and  tidy,  and  the  streets 
somewhat  cleaner  and  drier.  The  stores  I  should  think  were  not  so 
numerous,  as  the  buildings  seemed  to  have  more  the  character  of 
dwelling-houses.  I  was  conducted  safely  outside  the  gates  again, 
without  any  accident  further  than  the  loss  of  my  handkerchief,  which 
was  adroitly  taken  from  my  pocket  during  the  melee,  and  the  chagrin, 
if  it  may  be  so  called,  of  being  forcibly  ejected  from  the  city.  But  my 
curiosity  was  gratified,  at  least  to  a  certain  extent. 

Wednesday,  December  2blh.  —  Dr.  13.  called  for  us  early  this  morn- 
ing, and,  after  partaking  of  a  light  breakfast,  we  stepped  into  the 
boat  and  pushed  off,  directing  our  course  up  the  stream.  The  river 
at  this  hour  was  crowded  with  boats,  and  it  was  with  some  trouble 
that  we  could  get  along  for  a  mile,  and  that  quite  slowly.  Above  the 
factories  it  was  very  easy,  as  the  moving  boats  were  comparatively  few. 
We  passed  through  the  gate,  which  is  formed  by  two  hills,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  river  ;  went  up  twenty-five  miles,  and  landed  at  a  village 
called  Golden  Hill.  Here,  on  a  small  eminence,  was  an  old  monastery, 
ancient  and  interesting.  We  entered,  and  saw  the  priests  and  idols, 
but  nothing  much  different  from  any  other  temple.  The  people 
showed  no  signs  of  hostility  towards  us,  but  were  genei-ally  rough  and 
uncouth  in  their  manners.  Some  made  coarse  remarks  about  us,  but, 
as  I  did  not  understand  Chinese,  ignorance  was,  perhaps,  pleasanter. 
We  distributed  some  religious  tracts,  which  the  monks  and  other 
Chinese  received  with  eagerness,  though  the  monks  smiled  sinisterly. 
We  touched  at  several  villages  on  our  return,  and  arrived  home  at 
dark.  In  the  evening,  after  tea  at  Dr.  H.'s,  I  walked  up  to  the  facto- 
ries in  company  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams,  who  pass  through  the 
streets  in  this  part  without  any  fear. 

Saturday,  December  2$th.  —  To-day  we  made  a  pleasant  excursion 
into  the  country,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  and  visited  the  monastery 
at  the  "White  Cloud  Mountains."  Our  party  consisted  of  Dr.  II., 
Dr.  B.,  Miss  B.,  Dr.  Bowring,  Mr.  Meadows,  Mr.  French,  and  myself. 
At  tux  o'clock  we  left,  passing  out  to  the  open  country,  and  pursued  a 
winding  course  along  the  edge  of  a  valley  to  the  hills.  We  had  for 
tin:  party  one  chair,  which  answered  to  carry  the  tracts  for  distribu- 
tion, our  food,  and  for  any  one  to  ride  who  should  desire.  We  dis- 
tributed tracts  to  the  people,  which  aoemod  to  upon  the  way  for  our 


368  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

proceeding  without  molestation.  "We  arrived  at  the  hills  about  ten, 
and  ascended  by  a  long  flight  of  stone  steps  to  the  top.  After  resting, 
we  visited  the  apartments  devoted  to  the  Chinese  idols,  sacred  animals, 
&c.,  had  a  view  from  the  heights  beyond  the  monastery,  and,  returning, 
took  our  lunch  seated  upon  a  tomb  within  a  grove  of  pine-trees. 
Descending,  we  passed  through  the  leper  village,  crossed  the  Chinese 
military  parade-ground,  and  returned  by  the  opposite  gate,  making 
the  circuit  of  the  city.  The  people  were  civil  through  the  whole 
route,  and  ready  to  receive  the  tracts. 

I  have  heard  the  population  of  the  city  of  Canton  so  variously  esti- 
mated, from  one  million  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half,  that  I  will  here 
give  it  from  the  Chinese  official  document  of  1847. 

Within  the  city  walls,  365,400  ;  outside  the  walls,  164,800,  530,400 
Water  population,  or  those  living  in  boats  upon  the  river,  193^00 

723,-iUO 

This  does  not  include  the  transient  people,  or  the  imperial  army, 
which,  with  the  increase  up  to  the  present  time,  must  be  considerable 
more.  Then  the  population  of  Canton  is  between  seven  and  eight 
hundred  thousand,  and  not  a  million.  Yours,  truly,  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

LETTER   TO   A   SISTER-IN-LAW.  —  VISIT    TO   THE    SECOND    BAR    PAGODA. 

SINGULAR   ROCKS,  OR   PALISADOES. CURIOCS    BASIN.  —  ROW  OF  CAVES. 

—  CRUMBLING   PAGODA.  —  ANCIENT   WALL.  —  LETTER  TO  A  BROTHER.  — 

EXECUTION    GROUND     AT     CANTON. STATISTICS     OF    EXECUTIONS    FOR    A 

NUMBER   OF   YEARS.  DESCRIPTIONS   OF   THE   FACTORIES. THE    LORD'S 

PRAYER    IN    CHINESE. LETTERS    ON   THE   MANUFACTURE   AND    PREPARA- 
TION  OF    TEA. 

LETTER   TO    A    SISTER. 

,  Canton,  China,  January  1st,  1850. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  E.  C.  B.  :  This  day,  in  company  with  Dr.  B. , 
Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Bonney,  I  made  a  boat  excursion 
down  the  river,  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles,  to  what  is  called  the  second 
bar  pagoda,  —  a  place  some  three  or  four  miles  inland,  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river. 

1  went  down  last  evening  to  Dr.  B.'s  house,  and  spent  the  night, — 
1'is  house  being  some  two  miles  below  the  factories ;  and  this  morning, 
at  light,  we  had  our  coffee,  and,  stepping  into  the  sampan,  were  on  our 
way.  When  near  Whampoa,  ten  miles  below,  we  passed  in  sight  uf 
Mr.  Everett's  monument,  which  is  plainly  seen  upon  the  hill-side  of 
a  pietty  green  island.  Afterwards,  at  the  town,  we  called  for  the  two 
uiiier  gentlemen  who  were  to  accompany  us  ;  and  had  a  pleasant 
fviil  down  the  river,  landing  about  ten  o'clock.  We  left  our  ho.it, 
and  proceeded  on  the  bank  of  a  creek,  through  a  flat  of  ricoh'ulds, 


CANTON. SINGULAR    ROCKS.  869 

towards  the  high  land.  We  passed  through  two  or  three  hamlets,  and 
found  the  people  well  disposed.  Our  only  arms  for  defence  were  our 
umbrellas,  and  missionary  tracts,  which  we  distributed,  as  we  passed 
along,  to  those  at  work  in  the  fields  or  those  at  home  in  their  houses. 

Following  a  grove  of  banana-trees  for  half  a  mile,  the  unripe  fruit 
still  hanging  among  the  huge  leaves,  we  came  to  the  base  of  the 
heights,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  before  as. 

A  whole  line  of  rocks,  not  unlike  those  on  the  Hudson  river,  and 
upwards  of  a  hundred  feet  high,  extended  along  in  a  circular  form, 
until  lost  to  the  sight.  And  in  the  background  was  the  pagoda  and 
a  deserted  wall,  upon  an  eminence  about  two  miles  off,  and  very  much 
higher  than  the  rocks  before  us. 

The  fissures  in  the  rocks  were  nearly  perpendicular,  and  the  seama 
ran  horizontally,  so  that  those  portions  carried  away  gave  the  remain- 
ing masses  a  regular  jointed  appearance.  At  first  they  seemed  to  mo 
more  like  the  ruins  of  an  old  castle  ;  Dr.  B.  thought  that  they  now 
remained  just  as  they  had  been  formed,  and  changed  only  by  the  action 
of  natural  causes  and  the  lapse  of  time.  But  Mr.  Bridgeman  and  I 
thought  them  to  be  an  artificial  work,  which  had  been  quarried  at 
some  former  time  ;  while  Mr.  Bonney,  I  believe,  was  undecided  in  hia 
opinion.  We  instanced,  in  support  of  our  theory,  the  regular  mathe- 
matical cuts  and  divisions  in  the  rocks  ;  the  marks  of  the  chisel  on 
them  ;  the  various  apartments  uniting  with  each  other  ;  single  columns 
of  stone  standing  alone  ;  square  vats  dug  out  of  the  solid  rock  at  the 
base,  and  full  of  water,  probably  for  the  uso  of  the  workmen  ;  and  we 
accounted  for  the  absence  of  fragments  on  the  ground  on  the  proba- 
bility that  they  were  all  carried  away  and  used  in  building  their 
dikes,  and  the  walls  for  their  cities,  &c.  But  I  will  not  trouble  you 
with  these  items  ;  neither  party  could  convince  the  other  of  wrong 
conclusions.  If  it  is  the  work  of  nature,  it  is  a  place  of  great  interest ; 
but  if  artificial,  it  is  of  comparatively  little  interest. 

At  short  intervals  the  country  presented  new  appearances.  Some- 
times it  was  all  rock  for  several  hundred  feet ;  then  for  a  correspond- 
ing distance  there  would  be  earth,  grass,  shrubs,  and  then  a  hill-side, 
steep,  and  jagged,  with  rocky  edges.  In  one  place  there  was  a  per- 
fectly smooth  surface,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  wide,  its  wholo 
height  being  plane  like  the  side  of  a  house,  except  that  it  inclined 
from  the  top,  inwardly.  And  at  a  little  distance  there  was  an  appear- 
ance as  if  cornices  and  buttresses  had  been  hewn,  and  left  standing 
out  from  the  solid  rook,  and  blocks  cut  into  other  forms,  without  any 
apparent  design.  We  asked  some  laborers  near  the  spot  what  tiie 
pi. ice  was.  They  said,  "  People  carried  away  stone  from  there  two 
hundred  years  ago."  But  we  could  learn  nothing  satisfactory  from 
such  a  class  of  persons. 

Our  time  being  limited,  we  hurried  on,  climbed  the  hill,  and,  after  a 
walk  of  half  a  mile,  over  the  high  land,  came  to  a  great  hollow, —  a 
large  basin  formed  in  the  ground,  though  at  one  side  it  had  a  natural 
opening  leading  out  into  the  low  flats.  This  was  quite  a  novelty. 
The  basin  would  probably  contain  two  or  three  acres  ;  and  near  the 
ceutre  was  a  sm.ill  pond,  walled  in  with  stone,  and  filled  with  water 


370  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

of  a  red  color,  which  flowed  in  a  small  stream  from  it  through  a  small 
town  outside.  The  stone  about  here  is  all  of  the  red  sand-stone  kind, 
which  may  account  for  the  color  of  the  water. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  hasin  is  a  row  of  caves  or  chambers,  in 
the  form  of  a  semi-circle,  opening  out  of  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  resem- 
blinga  row  of  sheds  at  a  country  meeting-house,  though  much  larger. 
Dr.  B.  contends  that  they  are  all  natural  excavations.  But  I  could 
not  call  them  so,  hardly  more  than  I  could  the  pagoda  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill. 

It  is  true  that  where  there  exists  any  peculiar  formation  of  the 
ground  the  Chinese  will  add  and  subtract,  combining  nature  and  art, 
until  they  make  the  place  a  curiosity.  In  this  case,  doubtless  the 
remarkable  formation  of  the  grounds,  and  the  ledge  of  sand-stone 
encircling  the  inside  of  the  hollow,  suggested  to  the  Chinese  the  idea 
of  the  excavations.  The  more  that  particular  places  naturally  differ 
from  the  general  appearance  of  nature,  the  more  importance  do  the 
Chinese  seem  to  attach  to  them  as  localities  for  sacred  purposes,  —  for 
the  sites  for  temples,  tombs,  &c.  A  great  majority  of  their  temples 
are  erected  in  such  places  ;  and  often  much  of  nature  is  worked  in  with 
art,  —  their  work  being  so  planned  that  a  large  stone  boulder  shall 
make  some  part  of  the  building  ;  or  steps  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  the 
flight  of  stairs  leading  to  it ;  or  a  zigzag  path,  winding  around  over  a 
natural  bridge,  perhaps  passing  near  or  under  an  old  crooked,  gnarled- 
up  tree,  is  made  to  form  the  way  to  the  grounds.  They  hew  down  the 
side  of  a  rock  for  an  inscription-post,  and  many  other  things  of  a  like 
character. 

Here  each  of  the  rooms  opens  out  of  the  solid  rock,  forming  nearly 
a  square  within  :  it  is  arched  in  front  outside,  though  the  ceiling 
within  is  not  arched.  Pillars  from  the  natural  rock  have  been  left, 
sufficient  to  support  the  immense  weight  overhead.  These  stand  in  a 
circular  line,  in  front,  forming  in  part  the  divisions  to  the  rooms,  as 
well  as  the  support  of  the  arches.  The  ceiling  is  about  twenty-five 
feet  high,  and  the  rooms  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep  and  wide. 
The  apartments  generally  communicate,  and  often  with  hardly  any 
division  between  them.  Some  of  the  rooms  at  the  end  of  the  circle 
were  very  low,  and  bear  some  appearance  of  having  been  washed  out 
by  the  sea  at  some  former  time.  They  extend  back  for  some  distance, 
narrowing  in  height  until  they  end  in  a  single  fissure  at  the  extrem- 
ity, with  large  pillars  of  solid  rock  here  and  there,  as  if  supporting 
the  mass  above.  Some  places  were  so  low  that  one  must  stoop  to  walk 
beneath  them  ;  at  others,  one  could  pass  completely  through  under- 
neath the  hill,  and  come  out  at  the  other  side.  The  rooms  and  pillars 
of  this  part  appear  to  have  been  worked  upon,  but  never  finished. 

The  design  of  these  rooms  I  cannot  imagine.  The  only  one  in  use 
is  that  which  a  few  priests  occupy  for  a  Josh-house,  containing  all 
the  necessary  appendages,  idols,  incense,  &c.,  to  a  temple  of  worship. 
The  other  rooms  were  all  empty,  and  apparently  unused.  The  Josh- 
house  probably  is  for  the  use  of  the  village  near  by. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  this  circle  and  in  front  is  a  square  well,  or 
cistern,  «nnk  deep  into  the  sulid  rock,  and  partially  filled  with  water. 


CANTOX. EXKCUTIOX    OKOUMD.  37 1 

As  I  went  up  to  examine  it,  iny  friend,  fearful  that  I  should  fall  hi, 
begged  me  not  to  go  near  it.  I  wished  to  see  what  signs  or  marks 
of  implements  there  might  be  on  it,  but,  at  his  very  earnest  en- 
treaties, I  desisted.  He  said  that  it  made  him  giddy  to  look  near  it, 
and  he  considered  it  a  most  dangerous  place  to  approach.  This  well, 
I  am  confident,  must  be  artificial,  and  supplied  by  rains. 

Leaving  this  place,  we  crossed  over  the  hill  into  a  deep  valley,  and 
asc.;ndod  the  other  mountain,  upon  the  top  of  which  stood  the  pagoda. 
This  is  nearly  two  hundred  feet  high,  but  not  as  handsome  as  several 
of  the  other  pagodas  on  the  river,  and  is  beginning  to  crumble  to 
pieces.  It  is  like  two  hollow  cones,  one  within  the  other,  with  a 
narrow  passage  and  steps  winding  between  these  two  walls,  nearly  to 
the  top. 

We  all  started  to  go  up,  when  Mr.  Bonney,  concluding  it  to  bo 
dangerous,  remained  below.  We  however  went  about  half  way, 
when,  seeing  the  decaying  nature  of  the  walls,  and  that,  in  some  places 
overhead,  the  bricks  had  fallen  out,  and  others  just  ready  to  drop, 
Dr.  B.  turned  back.  Mr.  Bridgeman  and  I  passed  on  about  thirty 
feet  further,  examining  above,  below,  and  around,  to  see  if  it  was 
safe,  when  he  concluded  to  retreat  also.  I  then  went  on  alone,  wish- 
ing to  get  a  view  from  the  top.  I  proceeded  slowly  and  carefully, 
and  reached  the  terminus  of  the  steps,  and  there  I  found  the  skeleton 
of  a  Chinaman  lying  on  the  floor,  curled  up,  just  as  he  lay  appar- 
ently when  he  died.  He  probably  went  up  there  to  die,  like  many 
others,  in  accordance  with  some  superstitious  belief. 

We  left  the  pagoda,  and  within  a  hundred  yards  came  to  a  high 
circular  wall,  eight  or  ten  feet  thick,  and  enclosing  a  few  acres  of 
ground.  From  the  heaps  of  earth  inside,  and  its  appearance  gener- 
ally, we  concluded  that  it  had  been  inhabited,  though  all  now  was 
covered  with  green  turf.  Perhaps  this  was  a  place  of  retreat  for 
those  who  made  the  excavations  in  the  rocks,  and  also  for  those  who 
built  the  pagoda.  No  doubt  they  aro  connected  in  some  way.  I 
intended  to  have  noticed  if  the  stone  composing  the  wall  was  of  the 
same  kind  as  that  of  the  sheds,  or  excavations,  but,  in  the  heat  and 
fatigue,  it  was  forgotten.  We  arrived  home  safely,  at  eight  in  the 
evening,  fatigued,  but  much  pleased,  with  the  excursion. 

Yours,  &c.  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   BROTHER   S. 

Canton,  China,  Jan.  2d. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Dr.  B.  accompanied  me  this  morning,  before 
breakfast,  to  the  execution  ground,  which  is  in  this  quarter  of  the 
city,  and  there  we  met  Dr.  Bowring,  and  a  young  German  prince, 
who,  on  account  of  the  present  trouoles  there,  is  now  in  the  British 
navy.  They  had  come,  like  ourselves,  out  of  curiosity,  to  see  the  exe- 
cution ground  of  the  Chinesa.  It  is  a  narrow  strip  of  ground,  about 
fift;v>n  or  twenty  feet  wide,  and,  perhaps,  two  hundred  feet  long  ;  very 
unlike  that  at  Fou-chow,  which  is  a  square  plot  of  some  two  acres, 
outside  the  city,  and  covered  with  green  turf.  A  row  of  dirty -look- 
ing houses  on  one  side  open  upon  it ;  and,  on  the  opposite  side,  is  a 


372  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

high  brick  wall,  separating  it  from  the  other  buildings.  A  street 
crosses  at  each  end,  which,  at  the  time  of  an  execution,  are  both 
barricaded,  to  keep  out  the  rabble. 

I  looked  to  discover  evidences  of  its  having  been  used  as  the  execu- 
tion ground  ;  but  at  first  saw  none.  A  little  further  on,  in  a  kind 
of  pen  made  of  wooden  rails  against  the  wall,  were  about  thirty 
heads,  with  the  long  tails,  or  braids  of  hair,  still  attached  to  them, 
thrown  together  promiscuously,  like  heads  of  calves  in  a  slaughter- 
house. On  each  head  was  attached  a  wooden  label,  giving  the  name 
of  its  proprietor,  and  that  of  the  prison  in  which  he  had  been  con- 
fined. Some  of  the  heads  looked  as  if  just  severed  from  their  bodies  ; 
others  were  beginning  to  decay  ;  and  others  were  quite  advanced  in 
a  state  of  decomposition.  It  was  a  very  disgusting  sight. 

On  a  little  dry  ground,  a  few  feet  from  this,  were  several  dark- 
looking  spots,  the  blood-stains  of  seven  unfortunate  creatures,  executed 
only  two  or  three  days  since. 

As  a  curiosity,  I  picked  up  one  of  the  detached  labels  lying  on 
the  ground ;  but  the  doctor  persuaded  me  not  to  take  it  away,  the 
Chinese  being  very  superstitious  on  these  points.  They  might  think, 
perhaps,  that  the  soul  of  the  man  to  whom  the  label  belonged  Avas 
also  being  carried  away  by  the  Fanqui. 

The  number  of  criminals  put  to  death  in  the  whole  of  China  must 
be  very  great.  In  only  one  city,  Canton,  for  instance,  but  which 
includes  all  from  the  two  provinces  called  the  two  Cantons,  with  a 
population  estimated  at  thirty-one  millions,  there  were  executed, 
during  thirteen  years  prior  to  1847,  four  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  persons. 

From  that  number,  there  were  beheaded  by  the  cutlass,     .     .     4751 

There  were  strangled  113  men  and  10  women, 123 

Cut  to  pieces  (one  form  of  which,  as  some  say,  is  by  slicing  )  OQ 
alive  from  the  feet),  12  men  and  11  women,  .  .  .  •  -  •  J  _ 

Making  in  all, 4897 

This  would  average  372  for  each  year,  more  than  one  a  day. 
The  whole  number  of  females  was  21,  of  whom  12  were  strangled  at 
the  cross,  and  11  cut  to  pieces. 

The  above  statement  is  said  to  be  taken  from  the  executioner's 
books. 

The  account  for  1848  is  lost. 

The  number  executed  in  1849  was  725,  among  whom  there  was  only 
one  woman. 

The  whole  number  for  1850  was  444,  of  which  there  was  one  woman 
decapitated. 

In  1851,  including  three  women  cut  up,  there  were  in  all  871  exe- 
cutions. 

The  whole  number  for  1852  was  906,  of  which  one  woman  and  three 
men  were  cut  to  pieces,  and  one  man  strangled. 

For  1853,  including  four  men  cut  to  pieces,  there  were  1427  punish- 
ments by  death. 


CANTON. THE    FACTORIES.  373 

By  this  we  perceive  that  the  number  of  executions  increases  each 
year,  which,  no  doubt,  is  owing  to  the  political  state  of  the  country 
since  the  commencement  of  the  rebellion ;  for  the  present  dynasty 
does  not  hesitate  to  execute  its  political  offenders.  If  this  is  a  fair 
criterion  by  which  to  reckon  the  other  provinces,  it  would  give,  in 
the  whole  of  China,  for  1853,  between  fifteen  and  twenty  thousand 
persons  executed. 

Friday,  Jan.  4th.  —  Took  a  boat  and  went  up  to  breakfast  with 
Dr.  Hobson.  Dr.  H.  is  a  missionary-physician,  of  the  London  mis- 
sion, and  has  a  hospital  here.  I  was  present  at  the  religious  service 
there,  the  discourse  being  in  the  Chinese  language,  to  a  Chinese  audi- 
ence, by  a  converted  Chinaman,  named  Leang  Afa.  After  this  the 
doctor  examined  and  prescribed  for  quite  a  crowd  of  patients,  each 
one  coming  in  his  or  her  turn.  Each  interview,  where  there  are  so 
many,  must,  of  course,  be  short.  I  remained  to  tiffin,  and  returned 
to  the  factories  early  in  the  afternoon. 

I  might  as  well,  in  this  connection,  attempt  to  give  you  an  idea 
of  what  the  factories  are.  They  are  not  cotton-mills,  as  some  have 
supposed,  but  they  constitute  the  homes  of  the  foreigners  in  Canton. 
They  are  a  collection  of  buildings  like  a  small  city  ;  and  are  called 
factories,  from  their  being  the  place  of  factors,  or  commercial 
agents,  of  English  or  American  houses,  who  do  business  here.  The 
factories  are  composed  of  several  blocks  of  buildings,  standing  a  little 
way  back  upon  the  banks  of  Pearl  river  (river  of  Canton),  with 
two  squares  in  front  for  gardens,  and  enclosed  by  a  wall  from  the 
Chinese  part.  As  you  come  to  anchor  in  the  river,  the  view  that 
strikes  one  is  a  front  line  of  two  blocks  of  buildings,  from  two  to 
three  stories  high,  facing  the  river  ;  and  before  them  two  pretty  gar- 
dens, displaying  their  green  foliage  ;  and  from  the  left  extends  another 
line,  at  right  angles  down  to  the  water  ;  upon  the  right  is  simply  a 
wall,  with  a  creek  beyond.  The  gardens  are  in  form  slightly  oblong, 
containing  from  one  to  two  acres  each.  They  are  tastefully  laid  out 
into  hard  gravel  and  chunam  walks,  with  patches  of  trees,  shrubbery, 
plants,  flowers,  and  green  sward,  and  constitute  what  are  called 
English  and  American  gardens. 

The  factories,  mostly  of  stone,  with  slate  or  tile  roofs,  appear  more 
like  the  dwelling-houses  in  our  cities  than  they  do  like  mercantile 
buildings ;  but  they  answer  the  purposes  of  both.  In  their  lower 
part  are  the  offices  and  places  for  business ;  in  their  upper  stories  are 
the  dwellings,  with  fine  verandas,  enclosed  by  green  blinds;  which, 
in  cold  weather,  are  closed,  and  in  warm  thrown  open  ;  while  in  their 
rear  are  the  stores  for  merchandise.  There  is  a  continuation  of  the 
same  kind  of  buildings,  extending  back  from  those  in  front,  for  an 
eighth  or  tenth  of  a  mile,  to  a  wall  which  separates  this  from  the 
Chinese  part.  Opening  through  each  of  the  front  buildings  is  an 
arched  passage-way,  leading  also  back  to  the  division  wall ;  and  these 
passage-ways  with  their  buildings  constitute  what  are  called  the 
Hongs. 

Tiie  English  part  is  better  laid  out  than  the  American,  having  a 
lare-e,  open  street  passing  through  the  centre,  back  to  the  Chinese 
32 


374  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

division,  a  passage-way  on  each  side,  and  sundry  cross  streets  inter- 
secting. Ihe  English  and  American  factories  front  their  respective 
gardens.  The  English  now  have  a  chapel  in  their  garden,  which  is 
quite  an  ornament  to  the  grounds  of  both. 

The  following  is  the  Lord's  prayer,  translated  into  Chinese  of  the 
court  dialect.  It  begins  at  the  right,  after  the  manner  of  writing  by 
the  Chinese,  the  lines  reading  downward,  and  the  columns  towards 
the  left;  as  kindly  furnished  me  by  a  friend,  and  used  by  the  mis- 
sionaries in  their  schools. 

ching  —  deliver  so  —  what  woo  —  Our 

go  —  us  seu  —  needed  foo  —  father 

chuh  —  out  of  che  —  of  tsae  —  in 

go,  —  evil  leang,  —  food  teen,  —  heaven 

e  —  for  kin  7  ,     _,  yuen  —  desire 

kwo —  kingdom  jih  |          ^  urh  —  thy 

keuen  —  power  seih  —  give  ming  —  name 

yung,  —  glory  go,  —  us  shing,  —  holy 

keae  —  all  go  —  we  urh  —  thy 

urh  —  thou  meen  —  forgive  kwo  —  kingdom 


so  —  which  jin  —  men's  lin     ) 

yew,  —  possession  foo,  —  debts  kih ,  f  uu 

yuen  >  ,  kew  —  beg  urh  —  thy 

keih  f  meen  —  forgive  che  —  will 

she  —  age  )  r  go  —  our  tih 

she, — age  $  °  Foo,  —  debts  shing, 

koo  —  sincerely  .  pe  —  lead  tsae  —  in 

so  —  what  wuh  —  not  te  —  earth 


we  desire  %°  ~us  °  ~~ as 

yay.   £  she,  —  (into)  temptation    teen,  —  heaven 

Any  one  who  would  like  to  count  ten  in  Chinese,  by  saying,  with 
the  broad  sound  to  a,  yat,  yee,  sam,  sz,  ng,  lok,  tsat,  pat,  kow,  shap, 
will  already  have  accomplished  it. 

The  Chinese  characters  for  writing  seem  to  have  been  originally 
simple  drawings  of  the  objects  they  wished  to  represent,  and  after- 
wards modified  to  suit  circumstances  and  convenience. 

For  instance,  to  give  the  idea  of  rain,  a  character  was  formed  to 
represent  rain  by  a  kind  of  dome  for  the  sky,  inside  of  which  little 
dots  like  rain  extended  down  in  two  rows. 

To  write  "  sun,"  they  made  a  circle,  with  a  dot  in  the  centre. 

For  "  morning,"  they  made  the  character  for  sun  above  a  line. 

To  give  an  idea  of  "  Above  "  was  by  a  dot  above  a  line. 

' '  Below  ' '  was  by  a  dot  below  a  line. 

"  Brightness,"  by  characters  of  the  sun  and  moon  together. 

"  Mountain,"  by  a  peak  and  two  valleys. 

"  Forest,"  by  drawings  representing  two  trees,  each  with  two 
curves  upon  an  upright  line,  one  upward  and  one  downward. 

"  Obstructed,"  by  the  characters  of  two  gate-posts,  with  that  for 
tree  in  the  passage-way. 

To  convey  the  idea  of  a  man  striking  another  was  by  four  charac- 


CANTOX. FIREPLACES    AND    FUEL.  375 

ters,  for  man,  head,  nail  and  man,  grouped  into  one  hieroglyphic  ; 
literally,  a  man  striking  the  head  of  a  nail. 

Saturday,  Jan.  5/A. — I  walked  through  the  execution  ground 
before  breakfast,  and  dropped  my  handkerchief  there,  which  I  picked 
up  again  ;  and  when  I  got  home  I  found  that  it  contained  one  of  the 
labels  before  referred  to,  which  will  be  kept  as  a  curiosity.  While 
walking  in  the  American  garden  this  evening,  I  was  quite  surprised  to 
meet  Mr.  Pierce,  whom  I  formerly  knew  in  America,  and  where  I 
supposed  him  to  be  at  the  present  time. 

Sunday,  Jan.  6th.  —  Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman  accompanied  me  to  Dr. 
B.'s  to  hear  Chinese  preaching;  not  that  I  understand  it,  but  from 
curiosity.  At  one  p.  M.  we  dined,  and  at  two  Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman 
preaclTed  a  sermon  in  Chinese,  with  which,  of  course,  I  was  much 
edified,  but  not  much  instructed.  The  audience  were  all  of  Dr.  B.'s 
school,  and  they  sang  Chinese  words  to  the  tunes  of  Hebron,  Mear, 
etc.  Their  unmusical  voices  grated  rather  harshly  on  my  ear.  Dr. 
B.  preached  also,  I  think,  two  discourses  during  the  day.  In  the 
evening  I  attended  the  religious  meeting  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Parker. 
Dr.  P.  preached,  and  the  sacrament  was  observed,  in  which  Dr.  P. 
passed  around  the  bread  and  wine  to  the  communicants. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B.    ' 

Saturday,  Jan.  13th.  — I  have  heard  of  an  accident  to  Mr.  Gray,  of 
the  firm  of  Dirom,  Gray  &  Co.,  of  Hong-Kong,  while  practising  for 
the  races  there  to  come  off  soon.  His  horse  had  leaped  all  the  hurdles 
but  the  last,  when  the  horse's  feet  caught,  throwing  him  down,  and 
Mr.  G.  was  stunned  and  severely  injured.  He  lived  but  a  few  hours 
afterwards. 

I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Chinese  carpenters  do  not 
understand  carpentering  after  the  fashion  of  American  carpenters. 
Acowo's  hotel  is  a  Chinese  building,  and  they  have  fitted  the  joints 
uf  the  windows,  leaving  a  space  of  nearly  an  inch  at  one  end  unclosed. 
This,  with  other  openings  about  the  doors,  makes  the  cold  rather  severe 
in  my  room  this  evening. 

Capt.  P.  stays  at  the  hotel  to-night.  We  dined  together,  and  had 
a  long  chat  in  my  room  this  evening.  He  leaves  to-morrow,  and  takes 
letters  and  some  packages  for  me  to  America.  There  is  a  fire  in  the 
room,  yet  I  am  shivering  ;  but  the  fireplace  is  simply  a  square  hole  in 
the  chimney,  with  a  flue  of  the  same  size  over  it.  I  just  sent  m}r  boy 
to  bring  up  a  furnace ;  and  I  have  it  now  filled  with  charcoal,  and 
burning  outside  of  the  fireplace  upon  the  hearth.  This  makes  it  a 
little  more  comfortable,  though  considerable  gas  escapes  into  the  room, 
but  which  again  is  neutralized  from  the  natural  air-holes  of  the 
windows  ;  but  the  cold  weather  is  not  of  long  duration  here. 

There  are  now  a  goodly  number  of  Boston  people  here  and  several 


376  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

who  are  acquainted  in  N.  1  met  Mr.  Comstock  on  the  garden 
walks  to-night.  He  is  from  Providence,  and  was  formerly  at  Rev. 
Mr.  A.'s  school.  My  boy  this  evening  says  to  me  : 

"  I  have  got  one  good  friend  ;  he  have  catchee  too  muchy  sick.  I 
chin-chin  you  (that  I  may  go)  I  go  see.  He  make  a  die." 

"  Yes,"  said  I ;  "  what  is  the  matter  with  him  ?  What  thing  he 
have  make  a  sick  ?  " 

"  I  no  sarvy  ;  he  have  catchee  sick  long  time  before.  I  kum  back 
morning-time.  Spose  you  likee  I  chin-chin  you  too  muchy,  I  go 
make  a  see." 

"  Yes,"  said  I ;  "go  make  a  see  he." 

Wednesday,  Jan.  16th.  —  The  beggars  from  other  parts  congregate 
in  our  street  every  night,  looking  pitiful  enough,  as  the  Parsees  give 
them  boiled  rice.  The  thermometer  is  at  45°,  and  they  must  suffer 
from  the  cold.  One  was  knocking  his  head  on  the  stones  as  I  passed. 
One  woman,  barefooted  and  bareheaded,  in  rags,  was  sitting  in  the 
water  of  the  street,  moaning ;  and  by  her  side  an  infant,  crying,  as  it  lay 
exposed  to  the  sleet  and  rain  then  falling.  Others  were  crouching  and 
shivering  in  all  sorts  of  positions,  making  one's  heart  sick  to  look  at 
them.  A  beggar  was  found  dead  near  Dr.  B.'s  house,  the  other  day. 
They  often  go  there  of  themselves  to  die,  and  are  brought  there  to 
die  by  their  friends,  thinking  they  will  be  buried  by  him,  and  they 
shall  thus  save  the  expense. 

Mr.  Burdett,  Mr.  Blake,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Bridgeman,  called  in  the 
evening. 

My  DEAR  BROTHER  J. :  On  a  memorandum  which  you  gave  me  I 
see  that  you  wish  me  to  write  you  upon  the  article  of  tea.  This  I 
have  attempted  to  do  several  times,  but  something  or  other  always  pre- 
vented. Once,  that  insect  tribe  to  which  I  have  before  referred  at- 
tacked me  with  such  ferocity  that  I  was  obliged  to  give  it  up. 

One  night  I  battled  with  them  for  an  hour  ;  but  they  were  not  to 
be  prevailed  upon  by  threats,  nor  intimidated  by  the  great  destruction 
I  made  among  their  companions.  I  was  making  a  deadly  sweep  at 
one  ravenous  character,  when  my  hand  came  in  contact  with  the 
lamp,  extinguishing  the  light,  turning  the  oil  over  my  paper,  and  I 
was  fairly  forced  to  seek  refuge  within  the  mosquito-curtain  of  my 
bed.  They  are  not  at  all  backward  in  coming  forward  to-nig!:t, 
yot  they  are  very  forward  in  coming  backward.  Their  renewed 
efforts  of  intimacy  keep  me  in-  a  state  of  irritability  of  mind  ;uid 
torment  of  body.  To  see  them  undergoing  the-  severest  tortures 
would  not  enlist  my  sympathies  in  their  behalf.  To  endure  them  with 
any  Christian  state  of  mind  must  be  done  in  one  of  four  ways ;  inanely, 
by  keeping  up  a  perpetual  motion  of  the  body,  by  continually  smoking 


CANTON. TEA.  377 

tobacco,  by  a  constant  evaporation  of  spirits  of  camphor  around  you, 
or  by  going  off  to  bed.  And  of  these  remedies  I  never  know  which  to 
adopt,  but  generally  put  in  practice  a  little  from  the  three  first,  and 
in  the  end  always  wind  up  with  the  last.  But  what  is  annoying  as 
anything  is  the  fact  that  you  can  be  annoyed  by  such  insignificant 
beings. 

I  hardly  know  where  to  begin,  to  comply  with  your  request  to 
write  upon  "  tea."  The  subject  is  almost  as  endless  as  is  the 
number  who  drink  it ;  but  I  will  try  with  what  comes  into  my  mind  first. 

You  must  know  that  the  Chinese  rarely  drink  anything  but  tea,  and 
that  they  are  drinking  the  whole  day  long.  They  continually  ke"ep  it 
on  hand,  ready  to  be  drank  at  any  moment.  You  go  into  their  houses, 
and  if  they  wish  to  be  in  the  least  polite,  they  will  at  once  offer  you  a 
cup  of  hot  tea.  The  merchant,  the  school-teacher,  and  all,  from  rich 
to  poor,  have  it  within  their  reach.  The  poor  man,  if  he  cannot  afford 
good  tea,  will  drink  poor  tea ;  but  tea  he  must  have,  good  or  bad, 
even  if  he  is  obliged  to  steep  it  over  several  times.  The  following  will 
show  you  how  very  general  is  the  use  of  tea  among  the  Chinese.  A 
number  of  Chinese  boys  went  to  the  top  of  the  house  to  fly  their  kites. 
I  happened  to  go  up,  also,  to  look  over  the  city,  and  noticed  while 
there  that  the  boys  had  brought  their  tea-pot  along.  Each  one,  as 
he  became  thirsty,  would  repair  to  the  tea-pot  and  take  a  draught 
from  the  spout.  It  is  difficult  to  induce  one  to  take  any  cold  water. 
They  say,  "  The  body  is  warm,  and  the  water  is  cold.  How  can  do  so 
fashion  ?  no  can  !  Spose  takee  that  cold  water  inside,  that  inside  be 
all  same  fightee  :  how  can  ?  no  can  !  " 

Very  likely  you  suppose  that  here  in  China  we  must  always  have 
the  best  of  tea.  It  is  not  so.  You  find  good  tea  here  as  rarely  as  in 
America,  yet  I  have  drank  better  tea  here  than  at  home  ;  but  generally 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  tea  we  get  to  drink  here  is  poorer.  The 
mandarins  and  the  wealthy  Chinese  will  always  have  nice  tea,  if  it  is 
to  be  had  at  all.  The  tea-merchants  of  the  foreigners  also  generally 
can  command  the  nicest  tea  for  use  in  their  houses. 

The  Chinese  never  use  milk  or  sugar,  —  nothing  but  the  hot  water 
and  the  extract  from  the  leaves.  They  cannot  understand  how  we 
can  drink  such  a  compound. 

I  suppose  you  are  aware  that  a  great  deal  of  tea  is  manufactured  by 
the  Chinese  from  the  old  leaves —  from  the  leaves  that  have  been  before 
used,  also  from  damaged  tea-leaves.  For  instance,  the  tea  manufac- 
turers will  collect  the  refuse  grounds,  re-dried  from  shops  and  places 
where  much  tea  is  drank,  and  take  it  to  their  own  establishments.  Here 
each  leaf  is  separately  cut  into  two  or  three  pieces,  so  that  it  approxi- 
mates to  the  size  of  the  green  tea-leaves,  when  it  is  fired  over  again  ; 
the  fine  rich  color,  from  turmeric,  gypsum  and  sulphate  of  copper,  or 
Prussian  blue,  given  it,  and  it  is  put  up  in  boxes  for  the  market. 
Finally,  it  is  sent  out  to  the  world  as  genuine  green  tea.  How  they 
effect  their  sales  for  it  I  do  not  know,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to 
palm  it  off  upon  the  foreign  merchants  here  ;  perhaps,  sometimes, 
they  call  it  a  lower  quality  of  green  tea,  and  get  it  off  in  that  way. 
But  certain  it  is  that  considerable  quantities  are  manufactured  and 
32* 


378  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

sold,  and  it  may  be  that  you  there  at  home  drink  a  portion  of  it. 
The  Chinese  do  not  drink  it,  for  they  do  not  drink  green  tea.  The 
damaged  tea  is  that  which  has  been  wet  and  moulded  in  the  passage 
down  the  canals,  or  otherwise  injured ;  this,  also,  (as  I  said)  in 
passing  through  the  manufactory,  is  turned  to  green  tea. 

Great  care  and  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  foreign  merchant.*,  it 
would  seem,  are  necessary  to  insure  that  the  tea  they  are  receiving  is 
of  a  good  quality,  and  to  guard  against  the  deceptions  of  the  Chinese. 
There  are  so  many  opportunities,  as  the  tea  passes  through  various 
hands,  and  so  many  ways  of  cheating  and  deceiving,  that  the  mer- 
chant must  constantly  be  on  the  alert,  or  he  will  discover,  after  the 
tja  has  reached  its  destined  market,  that  his  cargo  was  made  up  of 
quite  a  variety  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  introduction  of  boxes  of  spurious 
tea  that  has  been  adulterated  with  an  inferior  quality,  or  —  what  is  a 
curious  kind  of  adulteration  for  tea — with  stones,  bricks,  old  ropes, 
and  various  kinds  of  rubbish.  So,  you  see,  for  your  nice  cups  of  tea 
at  home,  one  of  the  greatest  luxuries  of  drinks,  you  are  indebted  to 
the  care  and  persevering  watchfulness  of  the  merchants  here  ;  for, 
without  that  care,  etc.,  you  would  have  instead  old  tea,  coarse  tea, 
sour  tea,  mouldy  tea,  spurious  tea,  adulterated  tea,  and  tea  of  stone, 
brick,  and  ropes. 

I  will  tell  you,  as  near  as  I  recollect,  the  process  by  which  the  tea 
is  procured  here.  In  the  first  place,  it  grows  far  back  in  the  country, 
and  in  patches  or  plantations,  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  owner. 
At  the  proper  time  it  is  gathered  by  women  and  children,  who  get 
about  two  cents  a  day  for  their  labor.  It  is  then  taken  to  the  manu- 
facturer's and  dried.  From  the  manufacturer's,  being  brought  up  by 
another  man,  it  is  taken,  in  large  baskets,  by  coolies,  and  collected 
at  some  central  place  favorable  to  transportation  ;  and  it  may  happen 
that  it  is  carried  by  the  coolies  for  twenty  or  more  miles.  It  is  then 
received  on  board  of  canal-boats,  and  transported  to  its  various  mar- 
kets, as  at  Canton,  Shanghae,  etc.  It  is  then  bought  again,  by 
another  manufacturer,  properly  dried,  colored,  flavored  or  scented,  and 
packed  in  boxes  suitable  for  the  European  market.  Often  it  happens 
in  the  long  passage  by  canals,  owing  to  the  rainy  weather  and  the 
great  distance,  that  the  tea  is  much  damaged  —  it  may  have  been  six 
weeks  or  more  on  the  way.  It  is  then,  as  I  said  before,  manufactured 
into  spurious  green  tea. 

After  the  tea  has  been  properly  prepared  here,  there  is  a  class  of 
Chinese  merchants,  called  tea-brokers,  who  take  samples  of  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  and  of  the  many  qualities  to  the  foreign  merchant,  to 
cff.-et  a  sale  between  him  and  the  manufacturer.  Now  comes  another 
class  of  the  foreign  merchauts,  called  the  tea-tasters,  who  must  act 
u  very  important  and  responsible  part.  Their  duty  is  to  examine, 
taste,  the  samples,  and  determine  upon  their  quality  and  its  value. 
And  this  is  not  a  very  simple  thing,  as  the  Chinese  understand  how  to 
multiply  the  varieties  by  mixing,  etc.,  which  must  very  much  iner.-asi 
the  trouble  and  difficulty  to  the  tea-taster,  and  one  would  suppose 
almost  to  confusion  when  it  is  known  that  the  same  samples  ui  la, 
'  the  same  manufacturer,  aro  liable  to  bo  presented  several 


CAXTON. TEA.  379 

over  to  the  tea-taster.  For  instance,  one  broker  goes  to  a  manufac- 
turer, obtaining  samples  and  the  prices  of  all  his  varieties  ;  from  him 
to  another  manufacturer,  obtaining  his  samples ;  and  to  the  next,  and 
so  on  in  the  same  way.  Thus  you  will  see  that  the  tea-taster  will 
find  arranged  before  him  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  samples  of  tea,  and 
from  his  delicate  perception  in  taste  will,  perhaps,  find  that  there  are 
not  one  quarter  of  the  varieties  or  qualities  that  there  are  samples. 

Then,  after  this  part  has  been  accomplished,  and  the  tea-taster  has 
decided  upon  the  quality  and  price  to  be  paid,  the  tea  is  taken  in 
boxes  to  the  go-downs,  or  storehouses ;  the  tea-taster  is  again  called 
upoil  to  exercise  his  powers.  He  must  determine  if  there  has  been 
any  other  tea  introduced  than  that  agreed  upon,  if  any  adulterations 
have  been  made.  He  cannot,  of  course,  examine  every  box,  but  he 
must  examine  sufficiently  to  satisfy  himself  that  there  has  been  no 
deception  ;  and  when  there  are  several  cargoes,  and  several  varieties 
in  each  cargo,  it  is  not  a  small  work  for  the  tea-taster. 

After  this,  there  is  the  shipment  and  the  transhipment ;  much  care 
must  bo  taken  to  prevent  any  of  the  tea  from  being  changed,  the 
boxes  being  broken  into,  the  tea  abstracted,  and  other  articles  substi- 
tuted. The  Chinese  are  very  adroit  at  such  things.  Many  a  box  of 
tea  and  bale  of  silk,  during  their  shipment,  have  been  served  in  that 
manner.  This  may  give  you  a  little  idea  of  the  trouble,  labor  and 
vexation,  of  the  merchant,  in  procuring  you  good  tea. 

There  are  two  infants  screaming  in  the  rooms  adjoining,  one  on 
each  side  of  me,  and  both  at  the  top  of  their  voices  ;  and  you  know 
how  the  distressed  cries  of  a  child  disturb  me ;  so  that  I  may  not  write 
as  I  intended,  or  what  I  intended. 

It  is  pretty  difficult  to  ascertain  anything  by  the  Chinese  about  the 
culture  or  manufacture  of  tea.  They  seem  to  think  that  it  is  against 
their  interest  to  allow  foreigners  to  know  anything  of  their  arts  ; 
therefore  they  use  all  means  to  prevent  them  from  obtaining  any  in- 
formation. You  ask  them  questions,  and  it  is  one  chance  in  fifty  if 
they  do  not  tell  you  a  lie  in  every  answer  they  give  ;  and,  if  they  can- 
not tell  the  lie,  they  will  purposely  mislead  you  in  some  way.  As  long 
as  they  do  not  consider  lying  to  be  a  vice,  you  may  easily  judge  of  the 
extent  to  Avhich  they  may  be  capable  of  lying.  I  believe  they  consider 
it  a  talent,  or  a  fine  accomplishment,  to  be  able  to  tell  a  lie  that  can- 
not be  detected  —  the  only  disgrace  in  it  being  the  detection.  You  ask 
one  of  them  about  teas,  and  he  tells  you  this  and  that,  but  you  do  not 
know  if  he  is  telling  the  truth  or  not.  You  ask  another,  in  order  to 
ascertain  if  the  statement  is  correct,  and  you  get  an  answer  different 
from  his  ;  and  the  third  man,  perhaps,  gives  a  different  explana- 
tion from  the  other  two.  So  you  may  go  on,  and  get  information 
from  them  ;  and  when  you  come  to  observe  for  yourself,  you  will  find 
that  you  must  dispossess  yourself  of  some  things,  and  adopt  others. 
1  would  not  say  that  they  always  lie,  but  I  do  believe  they  lie  oku.u  r 
than  they  tell  the  truth.  Yet  I  would  not  undertake  to  pronounce 
upon  the  Chinese  character  from  the  few  that  I  meet  with,  and  a  mere 
'  acquaintance  of  a  few  years. 

Whoaover  a,  Ciiiiumau  toils  me  anything  that  I  liavo  not  before 


CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

known  about,  I  do  not  take  it  into  full  belief  until  it  is  confirmed  in 
some  other  way.  You  will  think  this,  perhaps,  rather  a  severe  com- 
ment upon  the  Chinese  ;  but  I  did  not  adopt  the  opinion  until  I  had 
seen  the  fact  verified  many  times.  It  is  just  the  reverse  with  the 
Europeans.  I  always  believe  them  until  something  appears  which  ia 
inconsistent  with  the  belief ;  it  is  only  then  that  I  change  my  opin- 
ion ;  so  that  I  think  there  is  no  prejudice  in  it. 

But  you  will  say,  I  know,  that  you  do  not  confine  yourself  to  your 
subject. ;  well,  I  admit  it,  and  will  endeavor  to  keep  from  running  off 
the  track  for  the  future. 

I  saw  a  notice  in  a  paper  that  a  trial  of  raising  tea  was  about  to  be 
made  in  America.  I  think  they  will  there  fail.  There  is  so  much 
difference  in  the  price  of  labor.  Probably  it  would  grow  and  flourish 
as  well  there  as  in  China,  say  not  further  north  than  New  York,  though 
it  would  no  doubt  do  well  iu  Massachusetts.  It  is  raised  as  far  norih 
as  Japan,  the  same  latitude  of  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts.  But 
to  cultivate  tea  in  America  with  the  expectation  of  a  remuneration  for 
expenses  is,  I  think,  out  of  the  question,  until  the  population  shall 
have  so  increased  that  labor  can  be  had  for  from  one  to  ten  cents  a  day. 

The  tea-plant  is  a  pretty  shrub,  growing  from  two  to  six  feet  high, 
though,  if  not  molested,  1  think  it  attains  to  the  height  of  even  thirty 
feet.  The  height  to  which  I  have  seen  it  growing  in  the  island  of 
Chusan,  and  back  in  the  country  from  Ningpoo,  the  latitude  of  thirty 
degrees  north,  in  which  the  greater  part  grows,  is  two  and  three  feet, 
and  in  Java  four  and  six.  But  it  is  cropped  down  every  season,  for 
the  reason  that  from  the  new  sprouts  a  greater  quantity  of  leaves  are, 
produced.  One  shrub,  I  think,  will  yield,  upon  an  average,  from  five 
to  ten  ounces.  It  is  planted  both  in  rows,  like  hedges,  and  in  hills, 
like  corn.  The  blossoms  look  and  smell  like  the  apple-blossoms,  though 
the  odor  is  quite  light.  The  view  of  a  large  field,  where  you  see  thou- 
sands of  these  little  hedges,  stretching  along  for  a  mile  parallel  with 
each  other,  is  very  interesting.  But  small  farmers  also  cultivate 
patches  of  tea,  selling  the  produce  to  the  dealers. 

There  is  hardly  any  person  among  the  Chinese,  from  the  beggar  to 
the  rich  man,  who  will  not  have  tea  to  drink,  in  some  shape  or  other. 
The  rich,  of  course,  have  the  best.  The  poor  man  will  buy  the  large, 
coarse  leaves,  and  will  even  steep  them  over  the  second  or  third  time. 
The  beggar  will  drink  tea  made  from  the  stems  and  the  refuse  leaves 
thrown  away  from  the  manufactories.  I  have  tasted,  from  curiosity, 
some  sickening  infusions  of  tea,  in  the  shops  and  places  where  the 
people  could  not  affjrd  good  tea. 

The  quality  of  all  teas  depends  upon  the  time  when  the  leaves  an* 
gathered,  and  the  manner  and  success  of  preparing.  To  produce  the 
best  qualities,  the  leaves  must  be  gathered  early  in  the  season,  properly 
and  thoroughly  dried,  and  securely  packed.  The  young  leaves  have 
the  strongest  and  richest  flavor,  and  according  as  they  are  gathered 
sooner  or  later  will  be  the  quality  of  the  tea  ;  and  it'  they  are  not 
well  dried,  so  that  no  moisture  is  left  in  them,  and  so  put  up  that  no 
air  comes  to  them,  the  quality  will  be  affected,  if  not  spoiled. 

There  are  not,  ia  reality,  no  many  species  of  tea  as  we  should,  1'roui 


CANTON. TEA.  381 

the  number  of  their  names,  infer.  I  ana  told  that  the  plant  is  the 
same  through  all  China ;  therefore  it  can  only  differ  slightly,  by  the 
variety  of  location,  by  the  soil  and  climate,  or  some  analogous  cause. 
The  leaves  do  not  differ  from  each  other  more  than  those  of  the  rose- 
tree  do.  The  kinds  are  two,  the  green  and  the  black,  and  arise  from 
the  different  periods  of  gathering  ;  that  is,  early  or  later  in  the  season. 
And  the  varieties  are  many,  and  arise  mostly  from  the  differences  in 
manufacturing  or  preparing  —  a  few  varieties  only  from  mixing  and 
scenting. 

Under  these  two  heads,  or  kinds,  may  be  arranged  all  the  other 
varieties.  In  America  we  are  apt  to  suppose  that  Hyson,  Green, 
Black  and  Souchong  are  so  many  distinct  species.  The  following  are 
the  principal  varieties  of  the  two  kinds  : 

Green  Teas.  Black  Teas. 

Hyson,  or  Young  Hyson.  Souchong. 

Hyson  Skin,  or  Old  Hyson.  Powchong. 

Chulan,  or  Imperial.  Pecco. 

Gunpowder.  Orange  Pecco. 

Twankey.  Congou. 

Oolung. 

Ningyong. 

Bohea. 

Then  there  are  some  other  unimportant  varieties,  and  only  known 
by  name,  as  "  Lotus  Kernel,"  "  Princess'  Eye-Brows,"  "  Carnation 
Hair,"  "  Sparrow's  Tongue,"  "  Dragon's  Whiskers,"  &c.  The  names 
have  been  collected  mostly  by  Mr.  Williams,  and  seem  to  be  given 
without  regard  to  system,  something  as  our  apples  and  pears  are 
named  at  home. 

Hyson  tea  is  so  called  from  the  Chinese  word  "  Hyson,"  which  sig- 
nifies "  before  the  rains."  Being  gathered  before  the  rains,  in  tlio 
early  part  of  the  season,  and  while  the  leaves  are  very  small,  it  is 
called  Young  Hyson,  or  young  tea  gathered  "  before  the  rains."  Old 
Hyson,  or  Hyson  Skin,  is  merely  that  which  is  left,  after  selecting 
the  smallest  and  best  leaves  for  Young  Hyson.  This,  therefore,  from 
the  skin  or  refuse,  is  called  Old  Hyson,  or  Hyson  Skin. 

Chulan  tea  is  green  tea  scented  with  chulan  flowers.  It  is  called, 
also,  Imperial  tea. 

Twankey  is  green  tea,  but  comes  from  a  particular  location,  —  I 
believe  from  the  banks  of  a  river  of  that  name. 

Gunpowder  tea  is  also  a  green  tea,  and  is  so  named  because  the  form 
of  the  tea,  after  it  is  prepared,  resembles  the  kernels  of  gunpowder. 

Of  the  Black  teas,  Souchong  comes  first,  as  being  a  principal  variety 
of  Mack  tea  ;  then  Powchong,  then  Pecco.  Congou  and  Orange  Pecco 
Is  Pecco  scented  with  orange-flower. 

Pecco  is  so  called  from  the  Chinese  word  pecco,  which  signifies 
white  down.  At  a  particular  stage  of  the  growth  a  white  down 
forms  on  the  leaves,  when  the  leaves  are  immediately  gathered  ;  the 


382  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

down  indicating  the  proper  time  for  gathering.  If  the  leaves  are  not 
gathered  at  that  particular  time,  the  white  down  falls  off,  and  the 
leaves  must  go  for  one  of  the  other  varieties  of  black  tea. 

Oolung  is  a  black  tea,  flavored  like  green  tea.  How  it  is  flavored  I 
do  not  know ;  it  may  be  given  by  a  peculiar  firing,  or  it  may  be 
scented  after  it  is  dried.  It  is  likely  that  the  Souchong,  scented,  would 
make  the  Oolung.  A  very  little  will  make  a  difference,  and  it  will 
then  become  a  new  variety. 

Ningyong  is  a  black  tea,  so  called  from  the  place  where  it  grows. 
It  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  varieties.  It  may  have  a  flavor,  differ- 
ing from  the  others,  which  gives  it  sometimes  the  preference  ;  but  the 
difference  is  very  slight. 

Bohea,  a  black  tea,  is  so  called  by  the  Chinese  because  it  is  raised 
on  two  hills,  called  Bohea  hills.  The  difference  between  this  and  other 
black  teas  is  from  its  being  gathered  very  late  in  the  season,  that  is, 
after  the  rains.  The  leaves  are  large  and  coarse,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
the  poorest  quality  of  tea.  I  have  understood  that  spurious  green  tea 
has  been  manufactured  from  these  leaves,  by  cutting  them  to  about  the 
size  of  green  tea-leaves,  drying  and  coloring  them. 

The  time  for  gathering  the  tea-leaves  depends  upon  the  particular 
kind  of  tea  to  be  manufactured.  The  season  is  between  March  and 
August,  and  includes  four  periods.  That  for  the  green  teas  is  in 
March,  April,  or  May  ;  and  that  for  the  black  teas  in  the  months  of 
June,  July  and  August,  immediately  following. 

Mandarin  tea  I  had  almost  forgotten.  This  is  a  kind  rarely  seen,  and 
I  think  I  have  heard  that  it  is  forbidden  to  be  made.  It  has  a  green 
color,  and  is  twisted  up,  something  like  small  skeins  of  silk  twist.  I 
sent  home  a  sample  of  it.  I  had  an  opportunity  to  try  some  of  it  at 
Mr.  Bush's.  It  was  nice,  but  not  more  so  than  that  kind  I  sent  you  in 
the  little  canisters.  It  is  very  expensive,  four  or  five  dollars  a  pound, 
and  is  called  Mandarin  because  the  mandarins  usually  or  often  drink 
it.  Mr.  Williams  has  spoken  of  a  kind  of  tea  that  costs  from  ten  to 
a  hundred  dollars  a  pound.  That  is  from  a  supposed  particular  virtue 
in  the  place  or  soil  in  which  it  grows. 

In  some  parts  of  China  they  make  tea  cakes.  These  are  made  by 
pressing  the  leaves  very  hard,  while  green,  into  the  form  of  a  brick, 
and  then  drying  them.  This  is  for  the  convenience  of  persons  who  are 
travelling.  B.  L.  B. 

Friday,  Jan.  25th.  —  Took  a  sampan  and  went  down  to  Whampoa, 
and,  being  still  at  Acowo's  hotel,  I  left  my  boy  in  charge  of  my  thirds 
until  I  should  return.  I  met  Mr.  Burdett  at  Mr.  Hunt's,  in  Wham- 
poa, and  went  with  him  on  board  the  "  Oriental,"  which  sails  to- 
morrow. He  very  kindly  takes  letters  and  some  packages  to  our 
family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce,  from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  &c.,  are 
passengers.  For  the  want  of  a  hotel  I  was  obliged  to  accept  of  Mr. 
Hunt's  hospitalities  on  board  of  the  "  Hygeia,"  and  he  made  me  most 
comfortable  and  welcome.  The  only  foreign  building  on  shore  is  the 


CANTON. THE    FOREIGNERS'    CEMF.TKRY.  383 

bowling-alley  ;  —  all  others  are  the  narrow,  dirty-looking  Chinese 
buildings. 

Sunday,  January  11th.  —  There  is  no  church  here  yet.  Rev.  Mr. 
Loomis  preaches,  occasionally,  on  board  some  of  the  ships.  Last 
evening  I  went  with  Mr.  L.  to  see  the  seamen's  Bethel,  which  he  is 
building.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  long,  and 
eighteen  broad.  It  is  very  much  like  an  oblong  building,  one  story 
high,  built  on  the  hull  of  a  ship,  cut  down  to  within  a  foot  or  two  of 
the  water's  edge.  Its  roof  is  somewhat  oval,  but  nearly  flat.  It  has 
a  large  room  for  a  chapel,  the  whole  breadth  and  two  thirds  its 
length  ;  and  several  other  good-sized  rooms,  for  a  sleeping-room, 
study,  and  one  or  two  spare  rooms.  Its  cost  is  estimated  at  about 
four  thousand  dollars,  the  money  being  raised  by  subscription  among 
the  foreigners  residing  in  China.  It  is  to  be  moored  in  the  stream, 
where  sailors  can  come  to  church  in  their  boats,  entering  by  doors  on 
either  side,  and  have  free  preaching,  paying  nothing  for  pew  hire. 
Mr.  L.,  I  believe,  acts  for  the  "  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society." 

Intimating  my  intention  of  going  over  to  "  French  Island,"  to  see 
the  foreigners'  cemetery  there,  Mr.  L.  very  politely  offered  to  accom- 
pany me.  It  was  late,  but  I  was  afraid  I  should  not  have  another 
opportunity.  It  is  a  very  pretty  island  ;  and  there,  upon  the  slope  of 
a  large  hill,  I  had  a  view  of  the  foreigners'  cemetery  of  Canton.  It 
being  nearly  dark,  we  made  a  hurried  stay.  I  should  think  there 
were  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  monuments  marking  the  graves  of 
those  who  have  left  their  bones  thus  far  from  their  native  homes,  to 
moulder  in  this  foreign  land.  The  monument  erected  to  Mr.  Everett, 
that  to  Rev.  Mr.  Clopton,  and  the  graves  of  the  six  young  Englishmen, 
Messrs.  Small,  Bellamy,  Balkwill,  Brown,  Rutter,  and  McCarte, 
who  were  murdered  by  the  Chinese  in  1847,  impressed  me  more 
than  any  others.  The  graves  of  the  Englishmen  were  ranged  along, 
side  by  side,  and  enclosed  by  a  low,  plastered  wall.  On  each  grave 
was  a  horizontal  slab,  on  which  was  inscribed,  "  Here  lie  the  remains 

of  ,  &c.,  who  was  inhumanly  murdered  by  the  Chinese  at 

Hwang-chu-kee,  &c."  —  the  name  differing  on  each  slab.  The  monu- 
ment of  Rev.  Mr.  Clopton,  also,  was  a  horizontal  slab ;  and  hia 
epitaph,  "Rev.  Samuel  Clopton  died  July,  1847,  aged  51,  &c.," — 
the  remainder  I  have  forgotten.  Mr.  Everett's  monument,  very  well 
designed,  had  this  inscription  on  it  :  "  Alexander  H.  Everett,  first 
resident  minister  of  the  United  States  of  America  to  China.  He  was 
born  in  Boston,  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  19th  of  April,  1789  ; 
graduated  at  the  University  of  Cambridge,  U.  S.  A.,  1806,  —  filled 


884  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

various  high  offices  at  home  and  abroad, — attained  distinction  as  a 
{statesman,  and  man  of  letters,  —  and  died  respected  and  beloved, 
under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Parker,  of  Canton,  on  the 
28th  day  of  June,  1847,  in  the  58th  year  of  his  age." 

I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  this  very  striking  coincidence  :  Mrs. 
Everett  and  Mrs.  Clopton,  as  I  am  informed,  came  out  with  their 
husbands  together  in  the  same  ship,  buried  them  both  within  a  month 
of  each  other,  and  returned  home  together  in  the  same  vessel. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

LETTER  TO  A  BROTHER.  —  DUTCH  FOLLY. EXCURSION"  TO  GOLDEN  HILL. 

VISIT  TO  CHINAMAN'S  FAMILY.  —  CHINESE  SQUEEZE-PIGEON.  —  MEDICINE 
AMONG  THE  CHINESE.  —  TREATING  A  PATIENT.  —  A  PROCESSION. — NEW 
YEAR'S.  —  CRUELTY  TO  BEGGARS. —  CHINESE  CRIES. 

LETTER  TO  BROTHER  A. 

Canton,  China,  January  29/A. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  suppose  that  you  are  having  nice  cold 
weather  at  home,  while  we  here  rarely  require  a  fire,  though  some- 
times the  cold  is  very  searching,  and  as  an  occasional  thing  it  is  very 
uncomfortable  without  it.  A  few  days  since,  every  one  was  complain- 
ing of  the  severity  of  the  weather,  —  that  they  could  not  keep  warm, 
in  doors  or  out,  and  the  thermometer  was  only  down  to  forty-five 
degrees,  the  freezing  point  being  thirty-two,  as  you  know.  There 
were  three  or  four  days  of  that  kind  of  weather,  and  I  felt  it  as 
severely  as  any  one.  With  a  good  fire  in  my  room  I  could  not  keep 
warm,  and  two  thicknesses  of  flannel  would  not  make  me  comfortable. 
Mr.  Agabeg,  from  Calcutta,  told  me  that  he  increased  his  to  six 
thicknesses,  and  not  till  then  was  he  really  comfortable.  The  Chinese 
sometimes  get  on  as  many  as  ten  thicknesses  of  clothes.  One  gentle- 
man told  me  he  saw  one  with  twelve  ;  but,  as  they  make  no  use  of  fires 
to  warm  themselves,  they  have  more  nepd  of  garments.  They  seldom 
use  fires  except  for  cooking,  wood  being  so  expensive. 

It  ought  not  to  be  very  cold  here  :  Canton  is  in  the  latitude  of  the 
West  India  Islands.  In  Manilla  I  did  not  exchange  white  linen  for 
any  thicker  clothes  during  the  three  winter  months  ;  and  it  was 
pretty  warm  at  that.  At  Shanghae  water  freezes  in  the  winter.  The 
warmest  place  I  have  found  on  this  side  of  the  globe  was  in  the  China 
Sea,  in  the  region  of  Singapore,  where  the  thermometer  was  above  one 
hundred  and  twenty  degrees  in  the  cabin,  —  though  the  heat  of  Hong- 
Kong  nearly  prostrated  me  in  the  month  of  August. 

I  believe  that  I  have  before  written  that  I  returned  in  December 


CANTON.  —  NOVKL   PROVISIOXS.  38ft 

last  from  a  tour  to  all  the  ports  that  are  open  to  foreigners  in  China  ; 
and  now  I  leave  for  Macao  this  week.  I  thought  of  leaving  sooner, 
but  friends  strongly  advised  me  not  to  trust  myself  in  a  fast  boat  at 
this  season  of  the  year,  —  it  being  a  time  (near  the  Chinese  new  year) 
when  the  Chinese  commit  a  greater  number  of  robberies  and  murders, 
—  and  consequently  I  thought  it  best  to  wait  for  some  other  opportu- 
nity. Their  new  year  corresponds  with  the  12th  of  our  February  ;  and 
they  think  it  of  great  account  to  be  able  then  to  pay  their  debts  and 
entertain  their  friends  ;  nor  do  they  seem  to  think  that  it  makes  any 
difference  how  they  obtain  the  means  for  doing  this. 

The  usual  salutation  of  the  Chinese,  answering  to  our  "  how  do  you 
do,"  is,  "  have  you  eaten  rice?"  and  is  to  me  amusing,  as  I  hear  it 
occasionally  addressed  to  my  friends  by  them. 

A  few  days  since  I  accompanied  Dr.  B.  and  Dr.  II.  on  an  excursion 
twenty-five  miles  up  the  river,  to  a  place  called  "  Golden  Hill ;  "  and 
I  will  give  you  a  short  sketch  of  it. 

We  left  Dr.  H.'s  in  the  morning,  a  little  before  light,  in  a  sampan 
(covered  boat),  and  passed  "  Dutch  Folly,"  —  a  Chinese  fort,  so  called 
because  the  Dutch  were  detected  in  the  use  of  a  stratagem  to  gain 
possession,  many  years  since  ;  but  I  may  as  well  relate  the  story. 
They  had  permission  from  the  Chinese  to  keep  a  hospital  on  shore  for 
the  sick  of  their  vessels  ;  and  one  day,  when  transporting  barrels  of 
provisions  to  the  place,  one  of  the  heads  fell  out,  and  revealed  a  gun 
inside.  A  Chinaman,  seeing  it,  cried  out, 

"  Hai  yah  !  how  can  sick  man  eat  gun?  " 

And  they  stopped  the  further  landing  of  provisions.  Well,  we 
squeezed  through  thousands  of  Chinese  boats,  being  several  times  com- 
pletely jammed  in  on  every  side,  so  that,  in  any  direction,  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  boats.  We  were  so  closely  encompassed  that 
no  oars  could  be  used,  and  the  boatmen  had  to  pull  along  with  their 
hands  by  the  boats  on  each  side.  At  light  we  were  some  four  or  six 
miles  past  the  factories,  and  opposite  the  place  where  the  six  English- 
men were  so  cruelly  murdered,  —  so  that  the  Chinese  had  no  oppor- 
tunity to  circulate  the  news  that  a  party  of  "  foreigners"  had  gone 
up  the  river,  and  we  passed  mostly  unobserved. 

About  ten  miles  up  the  river,  we  passed  through  the  "  Gates  "  or 
Gateposts.  These  are  thought  much  of  by  the  Chinese  ;  but  they  are 
nothing  more  than  two  abrupt,  rocky  sides  of  hills,  directly  facing  eacli 
other,  with  the  Canton  river  flowing  between. 

The  river  here  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide.  The  banks  are 
lower,  though  not  unlike  the  Connecticut.  The  country,  with  its 
villages,  plantain-trees,  bamboo-groves,  and  green  rice-fields,  looks 
very  pretty  ;  the  land  in  general  is  low,  but  at  the  distance  of  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  it  rises  into  hills  and  mountains.  Hundreds  of  boats 
are  constantly  passing  and  repassing.  Some  of  the  boatmen  rest  on 
their  oars  to  take  a  gaze  at  us  ;  and  in  so  doing  they  ornament  their 
big  mouths  with  an  idiotic  grin. 

Passing  a  village  where  a  custom-house  officer  resided,  the  boatmen 
requested  us  to  take  off  our  hats,  so  that  we  should  not  be  recognized 
by  the  officers ;  which  we  did,  and  were  not  observed.  They  expressed 
33 


iiS'G  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

some  fear  in  the  morning  about  taking  us  up.  intimating  that  their 
boats  might  be  destroyed  if  we  were  attacked.  One  of  them  said  the 
boat  was  all  his  property  ;  which  my  companions  said  they  would  pay 
for,  if  lost,  and  they  concluded  to  take  the  risk. 

We  made  no  stop  until  we  came  to  Golden  Hill,  so  called  from  a  sup- 
position that  it  contains  gold.  Having  landed,  we  held  out  some  tracts, 
translated  into  the  Chinese,  towards  the  people  who  began  to  gather 
near  us,  and  distributed  to  them  a  considerable  number.  AVe  advanced 
slowly  to  the  hill,  on  which  stood  an  old  monastery.  A  whole  troop 
of  boys  and  men  followed,  staring,  laughing,  and  hallooing.  Coolies 
carrying  burdens  in  the  fields,  and  some  a  long  distance  off,  seeing 
from  our  dress  that  we  were  foreigners,  came  running  to  us  from  dif- 
ferent directions.  All  seemed  quite  eager  to  obtain  a  book,  though  it 
seemed  to  me  that  some  were  more  attracted  by  the  yellow  cover  than 
by  anything  else. 

By  degrees  we  entered  the  monastery,  which  was  full  of  idols,  and 
contains  a  few  priests.  They  received  us,  at  first,  with  some  little  hes- 
itation and  alarm,  but  soon  only  regarded  us  with  curiosity.  Wo 
stopped  but  a  short  time,  looking  in  at  the  numerous  apartments  from 
the  various  terraces  of  the  building,  and  crossed  the  river  to  the 
opposite  side.  Here  was  another  village,  where  we  distributed  more 
tracts ;  and  then,  crossing  the  fields  to  two  high  hills  which  we 
ascended,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  fertile  country  around.  We  then 
descended  and  turned  towards  home ;  and  while  we  walked  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  or  rather  the  dike  which  was  built  to  dam  out  the 
water,  the  people,  all  the  way  along,  would  run  to  us  for  the  little 
books,  and  nearly  all  appeared  able  to  read  and  understand  them. 
Now  and  then,  one,  from  some  cause,  did  not  dare  to  take  them. 

We  stopped  at  several  villages  on  the  way  down,  and  met  with  no 
ill-treatment,  though  we  were  careful  to  avoid  a  crowd,  and  not  to 
stop  directly  in  front  of  the  towns,  but  to  land  a  little  on  one  side,  and 
enter  gradually,  and  less  unobserved. 

Near  the  "ga.tes"  is  an  entire  island  of  solid  coal.  The  surface 
presents  one  dense  black  mass.  The  mandarins  will  not  allow  it  to  be 
worked.  Full  of  superstition,  they  say  it  will  "injure  or  conflict 
with  the  wind  and  water."  Perhaps  they  think  that  inundations  and 
typhoons  would  take  place  oftener. 

Regards  to  Mrs.  B.  and  all  the  family.  My  remembrance  to  all 
inquiring  friends.  Yours,  truly,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   SISTER   L. 

Canton,  China,  Feb.  1st. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  have  been  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kenny  to 
visit  a  Chinese  lady,  who  thought  she  wished  to  consult  me.  We 
called  on  her  at  her  son's  residence,  and  found  her  to  be  an  old  lady 
with  the  "  little  feet."  The  little  foot,  you  know,  is  a  sign  that  they 
are  well  to  do  in  the  world,  are  not  obliged  to  work  for  their  exist- 
pnce,  and  belong,  to.  the  class  called  "  ladies."  The  son  is  a 
tea-merchant  of  good  standing,  and  lives  in  a  decent  house  ;  though 


CANTON.  —  PREPARING   FOR   T1IE   NEW    YEAR.  387 

the  front  part,  like  that  of  all  others,  is  open  and  exposed  to  the 
weather. 

The  old  lady  received  us  very  graciously,  bowing,  shaking  each  of 
our  hands  with  both  her  own,  and  laughing  continually.  I  laughed 
with  her  until  I  could  see  no  prospect  of  an  end,  fearing  that  she 
might  regard  me  as  not  favorably  inclined  unless  I  continued  the 
force  ;  and  then  stopped,  tired  out.  She  kept  on  laughing  and  talking 
with  Mrs.  K.,  who,  on  my  asking  her  afterwards  respecting 
the  interview,  said  they  did  not  understand  a  word  each  other  had 
said. 

Tea  wras  immediately  placed  on  the  table,  and  we  had  to  "  take 
tea;  "  but  not  in  the  manner  of  taking  tea  at  home.  "  Tea,"  here, 
is  tea  only,  without  milk  or  sugar,  and  nothing  eaten  with  it.  The 
tea-table  is  without  a  cloth  or  covering,  and  the  cups  are  about  half 
the  size  of  ours,  with  covers  to  them  ;  though  they  use  cups  of 
various  sizes,  from  this  to  those  so  small  that  in  drinking  from 
one  you  would  hardly  know  whether  you  had  taken  any  tea  or 
not.  The  tea  here  was  very  nice,  and  of  a  flavor  not  known  in 
America,  and  is  made  in  the  cups  with  covers,  as  I  before  described  at 
Ningpoo. 

\\re  sat  at  table  about  fifteen  minutes,  and  then  took  seats  at  the 
outside  of  the  room ;  whereupon  pipes  and  tobacco  were  offered  us, 
which  we  declined. 

You  must  know  that  it  is  not  the  usual  custom  of  the  Chinese  to 
admit  ladies  to  the  table  with  themselves,  it  being  generally  considered 
a  gross  piece  of  impropriety.  The  females  are  regarded  in  too 
degraded  a  light  to  be  allowed  privileges  equal  to  the  males  ;  but 
when  they  mingle  with  foreigners,  as  in  this  case,  there  are  some  who 
venture  to  observe  our  customs. 

The  old  lady,  having  a  seat  by  Mrs.  K.,  went  on  with  her  bowing, 
laughing  and  talking,  almost  without  cessation,  while  we  remained. 
Having  given  the  advice  desired,  which  amounted  to  scarce  any- 
thing, we  took  our  leave.  She  bowed,  shook  her  hands,  and  laughed 
us  to  the  door  ;  and  then  the  son  took  us,  and  bowed  us  down  stairs. 
He  shook  our  hands  several  times,  and  continued  to  bow  at  every 
turn  until  we  reached  the  street-door.  Finally,  we  shook  our  own 
hands  respectively,  and  then  departed. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  Gth.  —  The  Chinese  are  making  great  prepara- 
tion for  their  New  Year's  day,  which  takes  place,  according  to 
their  mode  of  dividing  time,  on  the  twelfth  of  this  month.  They 
are  Avashing  the  streets  and  alleys,  and  making  everything  clean  ; 
it  is  the  only  time  in  the  whole  year,  I  believe,  when  they  so  thoroughly 
clean  themselves. 

I  went  into  a  jeweller's  store  to  get  something  done,  but  the  man 
said  he  could  not  do  it ;  his  workmen  had  all  gone  home  to  spend  New 
Year.  Very  little  business  can  be  done  with  them  for  fifteen  days 
before  or  after  this  anniversary.  I  stepped  into  a  curiosity-shop  a 
minute.  The  man  says  : 

"  Sposy  you  wanchee  buy  any  cuyous  thing  —  Cheena  New  Y'ear 
can  sell  moor  chip  lity." 


388  til  IN  A    AND   MANILLA. 

"  Well,"  said  I ;  "  how  much  that?  " 

"  That !  that !  O,  that  very  chip  jus  now!  That  I  thinkee  can 
do  leben  dollar  tree  quart." 

"  Eleven  dollars,  three  quarters  !     No  wanchee  !  "  said  I. 

I  had  aeen  the  same  before  for  about  three  or  four  dollars. 
At  length,  a  little  at  a  time,  he  came  down  to  five  dollars,  saying, 

"  Can  do  fife  dollar  ;  spose  you  likey,  can  makee  loose  pigeon  litty  ; 
by 'm  by  you  take  care  my,"  —  meaning  that  it  would  bo  a  losing 
business,  but  that  I  should  give  him  my  custom  for  the  future. 

I  told  him,  "  No  wanehee."  When  he  said,  "  llow  much  pricy 
can  do?" 

But  I  left  him,  and  went  on  my  way.  In  the  evening  I  went  down 
into  the  street  to  see  the  beggars,  who  choose  certain  times  to  appear 
in  public  that  they  may  more  effectually  awaken  the  sympathies 
of  passers-by.  But  it  was  a  disgusting  sight.  It  was  cold  and 
rainy  ;  yet  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  of  these  miserable  creatures  were 
out,  in  tattered  rags.  The  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  the 
blind,  the  crippled  and  diseased,  and  those  of  every  sort  of  con- 
dition, were  here.  But  the  subject  of  beggars  requires  a  separate 
sheet. 

I  turned  to  buy  some  oranges  at  a  stand  near  by,  having  been 
quite  unwell  for  a  week  ;  but  the  man,  because  I  was  a  foreigner, 
asked  me  so  much  that  I  distributed  my  string  of  cash  among  the 
beggars,  telling  him  that  when  he  would  sell  without  cheating  I  would 
patronize  him.  I  do  not  suppose  he  understood  what  I  said,  though 
he  did  my  manner. 

I  intended  to  have  left  Macao  before  this ;  but  illness  and  the  want 
of  conveyance  detained  me.  A  day  or  two  since,  there  being  no 
steamer,  I  asked  my  boy  to  look  around  and  get  me  a  passage  in  a 
Chinese  fast  boat  to  Macao ;  and  to-day  he  came  to  me  and  said  : 

"  Misser  Dokker :  I  have  go  makec  look  that  fas  bote!  That  fas 
bote  no  good  ting  ;  more  better  you  catchee  stim  bote.  Jus  now  have 
got  plenty  tief  mann !  Cheena  new  year  have  got  too  mucby  bad 
maim  !  My  one  friend  have  go  that  las  bote  ;  he  have  all  a  munny 
live  huntry  dollar  ;  have  go  Hong-Kong,  tief  man  catchee  he.  lie  no 
have  got  one  cash  "  (his  friend  has  not  got  one  cent  of  his  money 
left). 

This,  I  believe,  is  the  first  time  a  Chinaman  ever  warned  me  of 
danger. 

I  am  now  staying,  for  the  last  few  days  of  my  continuance  in 
Canton,  at  a  friend's,  having  left  Acowo's  hotel  last  evening.  And 
why  have  you  changed  your- residence,  you  will  say,  just  as  you  are 
leaving  Canton  ?  I  can  tell  you  in  a  few  words.  Acowo,  my  land- 
lord, wished  to  play  off  on  me  a  li"ttle  of  the  Chinese  "  squeeze-pigeon," 
\\  liidi  I  did  not  like  to  accept.  That  is,  he  wished  to  oblige  me  to  pay 
him  a  month's  board,  whether  I  continued  with  him  or  not,  if  I  only 
remained  one  day  of  the  month.  I  had  been  expecting  daily,  for  the  last 
fortnight,  to  leave ;  and  to-morrow  is  the  end  of  one  month's  time 
with  him,  for  which  I  had  engaged  to  pay  fifty  dollars  for  a  room 
and  simple  board,  which,  with  extras,  in  all  amount  to  sixty  or  seventy 


CANTON. CUINESE   PHYSICIANS.  389 

dollars.  Acowo,  knowing  that  there  was  no  steamer,  and  from  my 
boy  that  I  should  not  leave  in  the  fast  boat,  and  that  there  was  no 
other  communication  which  I  could  avail  myself  of,  said  to  me  yester- 
day that  he  must  charge  me  a  month's  board  if  I  staid  to-morrow. 

I  asked  him  why. 

"  0,"  he  said,  "Cheena  custom  !  " 

"  Very  well,"  said  I ;  "if  that  is  China  custom,  I  shall  leave  ;  and 
that  will  be  America  custom." 

Feeling  sure  that  I  could  not  leave,  and  should  be  obliged  to  remain, 
he  said, 

"As  you  likee  ;  you  can  go  that  fas  bote,  spose,  you  likee." 

I  spoke  with  him  several  times  afterwards,  asking  him  if  he  intended 
to  carry  out  his  China  custom  with  me. 

"  0,  yes,"  he  said;  "  that  very  good  custom.  How  can  changee 
that?"' 

I  determined  in  my  own  mind  that  I  would  leave  him,  even  if  I  had 
to  hire  a  Chinese  sampan  to  take  my  things  on  board,  and  sleep  there 
at  night ;  but,  making  inquiries  among  some  Chinese  acquaintances,  I 
found  several  rooms  where  I  could  put  my  things,  and  also  a  place  to 
sleep  ;  and,  if  I  liked,  they  said  I  could  eat  witli  them.  I  asked  how 
much  they  should  charge  for  all  that,  and  they  said  four  or  five  dollars 
a  month. 

During  the  day  Dr.  B.  called,  to  whom  I  related  the  imposition 
which  Acowo  wished  to  practise ;  and  he  at  once  invited  me  to  his 
house.  Having  ascertained  that  it  would  not  incommode  him,  I 
accepted  of  his  kindness,  and  at  once  packed  up,  much  to  the  surprise 
of  Acowo,  who  did  not  apparently  believe  that  I  would  or  could  vacate 
his  premises  until  he  saw  the  coolies  carrying  off  my  things. 

The  word  ' '  pigeon ' '  is  the  nearest  the  Chinese  can  get  to  pro- 
nouncing the  word  "  business,"  articulating  p  for  b  and  g  for  5  —  thus 
it  it  has  its  origin  and  use.  Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   BROTHER   S. 

Canton,  Feb.  1th. 

DEAR  BROTHER  :  When  a  Chinese  physician  examines  a  patient,  he 
feels  the  pulse  on  both  sides  of  the  wrist  for  the  ulnar  and  radial 
arteries,  and  then  of  both  hands;  and  again  they  make  out  three  dif- 
ferent places  for  feeling  the  pulse  of  each  artery,  —  one  next  to  the 
hand,  one  two  or  three  inches  up  the  arm,  and  the  other  between 
the  two  ;  and  each  is  considered  very  important  in  making  the  diag- 
nosis. The  pulse,  in  fact,  is  with  them  the  index  of  every  disease. 

They  believe  the  gall  to  be  the  seat  of  bravery ;  and  the  galls  of 
ferocious  animals  are  sought  after  to  be  eaten  by  those  who  wish  for 
great  courage  or  fierceness  in  battle  ;  and  that  the  liver  is  the  seat  of 
the  soul. 

Bleeding  is  seldom  done  except  by  leeches  or  cupping.  They  some- 
times amputate  fingers,  open  abscesses,  extract  teeth,  &c.  ;  but  frac- 
tures and  dislocations  are  left  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

They  divide  the  system  of  medicine  into  nine  branches,  or  heads,  — 
ulL-fting  the  pulse  strongly  or  feebly;  female  and  cutaneous 
those  of  the  eyes,  mouth  and  bones  ;  and  those  arising  from 
33*     *    • 


390  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

cold.  The  principal  medicines  used  are  rhubarb,  deers'  horns,  myrrh, 
gentian,  camphor,  monkeys'  and  bears'  paws,  different  kinds  of  bum*  ; 
but  the  most  popular,  therefore  effective,  of  all,  is  ginseng. 

The  Chinese  believe  in  the  superstitions  of  charms,  divination, 
absurd  and  ridiculous  notions  in  regard  to  medicine  and  medical 

agents.  A  Chinese  w.oman  came  to  Dr. ,  bringing  some  medicine 

from  a  Chinese  doctor,  which  she  wished  him  to  take  into  his  moutii, 
and  spit  it  out  again  into  a  cup  for  her  to  take  afterwards.  She  had 
been  so  firmly  persuaded  by  the  Chinese  doctor  that  it  would  cure  her, 
that  she  was  very  unwilling  to  leave  without  its  being  done,  even  after 
being  repeatedly  assured  to  the  contrary. 

The  system  of  medicine  in  China  seems  to  be  about  on  a  par  with 
the  pagan  religion  ;  and,  I  think,  hardly  worth  the  following  out  fur- 
ther than  what  is  contained  in  the  following  brief  accounts  : 

The  treatment  of  Father  Ripas,  when  he  was  thrown  from  his  horso 
in  some  part  of  China,  will  show  pretty  well  the  Chinese  method  of 
procedure.  In  the  Chinese  Repository,  after  mentioning  that  he  was 
carried  fainting  into  the  house,  and  that  a  surgeon  visited  him,  the 
account  is  given  in  Father  Ripas'  own  words.  "  He  (the  Chinese 
doctor)  made  me  sit  up  in  bed,  placing  near  me  a  large  basin  of  water, 
in  which  he  put  a  thick  piece  of  ice,  to  reduce  it  to  the  freezing  point. 
Then  stripping  me  to  the  waist,  he  made  me  stretch  my  neck  over  the 
basin,  while  he  continued,  for  a  good  while,  to  pour  the  water  on  my 
neck  with  a  cup.  The  pain  caused  by  this  operation  upon  those 
nerves  which  take  their  rise  from  the  pia  mater  was  so  great  and 
insufferable  that  it  seemed  to  me  unequalled ;  but  he  said  that  it 
would  stanch  the  blood  and  restore  me  to  my  senses,  which  was 
actually  the  case ;  for,  in  a  short  time,  my  sight  became  clear,  and  my 
mind  resumed  its  powers.  He  next  bound  my  head  with  a  band  drawn 
tight  by  two  men  who  held  the  ends,  while  he  struck  the  intermediate 
parts  vigorously  with  a  piece  of  wood,  which  shook  my  head  violently, 
and  gave  me  dreadful  pain.  This,  he  said,  was  to  set  the  brain,  which 
he  supposed  had  been  displaced  ;  and  it  is  true  that  after  the  second 
operation  my  head  felt  more  free.  A  third  operation  was  now  per- 
formed, during  which  he  made  me,  still  stripped  to  the  waist,  walk  in 
the  open  air,  supported  by  two  persons ;  and,  while  thus  walking,  he 
unexpectedly  threw  a  basin  of  cold  water  over  my  breast.  As  this 
caused  me  to  draw  my  breath  with  great  vehemence,  and  as  my  chest 
had  been  injured  by  the  fall,  it  may  be  easily  imagined  what  were  my 
suffjriiigs  under  this  affliction  ;  but  I  was  consoled  by  the  information 
that,  if  any  rib  had  been  dislocated,  the  sudden  and  hard  breathing 
would  restore  it  to  its  natural  position.  The  next  proceeding  was  not 
IOBSS  painful  and  extravagant.  The  operator  made  me  sit  upon  the 
ground,  and,  assisted  by  two  men,  held  a  cloth  upon  my  mouth  and 
nose,  until  I  was  almost  suffocated.  '  This,'  said  the  Chinese  .JBscula- 
pitis,  '  by  causing  a  violent  heaving  of  the  chest,  will  force  back  any 
rib  that  may  have  been  broken.'  The  wound  upon  my  head  not  being 
v  ry  de>'p,  lie  healed  it  by  stuffing  it  with  burnt  cotton.  He  then 
rdcrcd  that  I  should  continue  to  walk  much,  supported  by  two  per- 
-i.i:;s  ;  that  I'should  not  ssit  long,  nor  be  allowed  to  sleep  till  ten  o'clock 
at  ni^ht,  at  which  time  1  should  eat  a  little  thin  rice  soup.  He 


CANTON. A    DIVINE    PRESCRIPTION.  391 

assured  me  that  these  walks  in  the  open  air  while  fasting  would  pre- 
vent the  blood  from  settling  upon  the  chest,  where  it  might  corrupt. 
These  remedies,  though  barbarous  and  excruciating,  cured  me  so  com- 
petely  that  in  seven  days  I  was  able  to  resume  my  journey." 

When  a  person  has  received  a  flesh-wound,  or  his  arm  or  head 
gashed  with  some  sharp  instrument,  the  Chinese  surgeon,  instead  of 
bringing  the  edges  of  the  opening  together,  forces  them  still  further 
apart  by  filling  them  in  with  soft  clay,  or  a  compound  of  herbs  beaten 
in  a  mortar,  and  binding  up  the  part.  Thus  the  wound  must  occupy 
a  long  time  in  healing,  and  leave  an  unsightly  scar.  I  have  noticed, 
it  seems  to  me,  almost  every  third  or  fourth  man  of  the  Chinese  with 
more  or  less  of  these  broad,  ugly-looking  scars.  But  the  better 
informed  are  beginning  to  adopt  our. system  of  medicine,  especially 
surgery,  though  with  rather  superstitious  views  in  regard  to  it.  One 
old  Chinaman,  for  whose  little  son  and  only  heir  Dr.  P.  had  performed 
an  operation,  was  so  overcome  by  the  successful  result  that  he  fell  on 
his  knees,  and  clasped  the  doctor  around  the  legs,  and  reverentially 
kissed  his  feet.  This  the  doctor  would  not  permit,  and  bade  him  rise 
and  pay  his  devotions  to  the  Supreme  Being  in  heaven. 

The  following  is 

"  A  DIVINE   PRESCRIPTION   FOR   AVOIDING    THE   EPIDEMIC,  AND   PRESERVING 

LIFE. 

"  Lately  in  this  city  there  has  been  an  epidemic  raging.  Instant 
death  follows  its  attacks,  and  its  victims  are  daily  increasing.  In  the 
fifth  month,  on  the  23d  day,  as  I  was  returning  home  from  my  uncle's 
house,  on  the  road  I  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  violent  pain  in  my 
bowels.  I  walked  on  hastily,  but,  when  half  a  mile  distant  from  my 
house,  I  became  giddy,  and  fell  to  the  ground,  unconscious  of  man  or 
thing.  Fortunately,  a  neighbor,  Yang  Kweitang,  saw  me,  and  called  to 
some  people  who  were  assembled  in  the  field  weeding  the  cotton  to  carry 
me  home.  He  then  took  some  of  the  '  Sleeping  Dragon  Powder,'  and 
blew  it  up  my  nose  ;  and,  after  using  acupuncture  and  friction  to  my 
whole  body  for  the  space  of  time  in  which  you  could  drink  a  cup  of 
tea,  I  gradually  revived,  but  felt  the  pain  in  my  bowels  to  be  very 
great,  and  the  tendons  of  my  four  limbs  were  contracted.  Vomiting 
and  purging  both  took  place,  and,  becoming  giddy.  I  again  fainted 
away.  Suddenly  I  saw  two  messengers  enter  from  without.  They 
said,  with  a  loud  voice,  '  Your  years  are  completed  ;  we  have  received 
the  orders  of  the  ruler  of  the  shades  especially  to  come  and  apprehend 
you.'  They  had  hardly  finished  speaking,  when  I  suddenly  saw  an 
old  man  come  from  the  interior  of  the  house.  He  was  dressed  in 
priest's  garments,  and  seemed  about  sixty  years  old.  He  said  to  them, 
'  You  must  not  act  so  hurriedly.  Although  Sun  Kinfang  is  amongst 
thuso  attacked  by  the  plague,  still,  remembering  that  he  has  commonly 
abstained  from  slaughtering  animals,  and  spared  life  very  carefully  for 
five  years,  I  think  that  this  virtue  will  free  him  from  danger.  You 
can  take  these  words  as  a  reply.'  When  the  two  messengers  heard 
this,  they  were  pleased,  and  went  away. 

'•  Tl><-  oli!  man  then  addressed  me.  .saying, '  Your  years  are,  by  right, 
come  to  a  close, ;  but,  remembering  that  you  have  set  your  miud 


392  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

» 

towards  doing  good,  though  there  are  several  things  undone,  I  now 
indulgently  let  you  return  to  life.  If  you  again,  with  fixed  purpose 
of  mind,  act  virtuously,  and  do  not  commit  crimes,  your  life  will  cer- 
tainly be  lengthened.  Besides,  at  present  the  plague  has  not  widely 
spread  ;  but,  in  the  middle  of  the  eighth  month,  there  will  be  epilep- 
sies and  cramp  in  the  bowels,  —  two  fatal  kinds  of  disease.  This  is 
all  in  consequence  of  Sungkiang  and  Taitsung  departments  having, 
for  several  years,  committed  the  great  crime  of  killing  live  animals, 
and  Shanghae  and  Tsingpu  having  done  so  in  a  still  greater  degree  ; 
therefore  the  terrible  anger  of  Heaven  has  been  provoked  to  send  down 
this  extraordinary  calamity.  Now,  if  they  can  turn  their  minds 
towards  the  reforming  of  their  offences,  abstain  from  slaughtering 
animals,  spare  life,  and  fast  fur  a  month,  likewise  paste  upon  their 
doors  a  charm  for  expelling  evil  spirits  and  guarding  the  house,  these 
calamities  can  be  avoided.' 

"  When  he  had  ceased  speaking,  he  gave  me  a  blow,  and  I  instantly 
revived.  Suddenly  I  heard  great  lamentations  amongst  the  neighbors, 
and,  having  ordered  my  brother  Kinchaw  to  go  out  and  make  inquiries 
respecting  it,  he  informed  me  that  Yang  Kueitang  had  been  afflicted 
with  the  disease,  and  was  already  dead.  When  I  heard  this,  my 
fright  was  insupportable,  and  I  communicated  to  my  brother  all  that 
had  taken  place  regarding  the  old  man.  My  brother  said,  '  This  must 
be  the  god  who  presides  over  the  kitchen,  and  disposes  of  life.'  I  then 
wrote  down  the  affair,  that  it  might  everywhere  be  spread  abroad. 
Whoever  sees  this  ought  either  to  transcribe  it,  and  give  it  a  wide  cir- 
culation, or  minutely  relate  it  to  others  ;  and  thus  not  only  avoid  per- 
sonal danger,  but  also  escape  the  charge  of  ingratitude  for  the 
exceeding  benevolence  of  the  Disposer  of  life,  who,  with  a  compassion- 
ate heart,  rescues  the  world. 

"  If  all  persons  who  see  this  do  not  believe  and  receive  it,  and  fast 
when  calamities  come  upon  them,  and  if  they  do  not  desire  to  spare 
life,  and  eat  simple  food,  it  is  to  be  feared  that,  like  stopping  up  a 
leak  when  the  vessel  is  already  in  the  heart  of  the  river,  it  will  be, 
by  and  by,  too  late. 

(Signed)  < '  SUN  KINFANG  . ' ' 

Here  follow  the  names  of  about  thirty  persons  who  have  subscribed 
to  print  off  ten  thousand  copies  of  the  above. 

The  above  account  was,  in  the  form  of  a  handbill,  recently  circulated 
in  Shanghae,  evidently  of  Buddhist  origin,  of  which  a  translation  has 
been  sent  us.  —  Shanghae  Mail. 

Canton,  Sunday,  Feb.  IQth. — Walked  to  the  meeting  at  the  chapel, 
and  afterwards  read  the  sermon  preached  by  Mr.  Stanton  on  the  death 
of  Mr.  Gray.  On  the  way  home  from  an  evening  meeting  we  passed 
several  Chinamen,  who  were  leading,  by  his  long  braid  of  hair,  a  cul- 
prit who  had  been  caught  stealing.  * 

Lately  a  Chinese  criminal  was  sentenced  to  death  by  the  slow  pro- 
cess of  being  kept  awake,  night  and  day,  until  death  should  take,  place, 
riiu  suntuiifj  wits  carried  into  execution  at  an  open  place  tiut  far  from 


CANTON. NEW    YEAR    REJOICINGS.  393 

the  factories.  A  police  of  executioners  was  kept  around  the  man, 
with  bamboos  in  their  hands,  to  prick  and  beat  him  whenever  he 
inclined  to  sleep.  Food  and  drink  were  freely  allowed  him,  and  on  the 
eleventh  day  (I  think  it  was),  after  three  days  of  much  agony,  death 
took  place. 

Monday,  \\th.  —  Went  up  in  a  boat  this  forenoon  to  see  the  Chi- 
n.ssu  fair.  It  was  held  along  the  sides  of  one  of  the  narrow  streets,  a 
«h  >rt  distance  from  tho  river.  Mr.  Agabeg  and  friend  pushed  with 
mo  through  the  crowd,  and  we  saw  all.  There  was  nothing  great 
aSout  it,  except  great  prices,  which  were  several  times  more  than  they 
usually  ask.  There  is  much  noise  this  evening  caused  by  crackers, 
guns,  rockets,  and  the  voices  of  the  people,  it  being  the  last  evening 
of  the  year. 

Tuesday,  February  12th.  — This  is  New  Year's  day  here  in  China, 
and  a  great  holiday  with  the  Chinese.  Having  some  time  since 
arranged  for  this  day,  we  made  a  trip  around  the  city  of  Canton. 
Our  company  was  composed  of  Dr.  D.  B.,  Miss  M.  B.,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dr.  II.,  Dr.  Bowring,  Mr.  Meadows,  and  myself.  Mr.  Walker  and  a 
friend  also  joined  us.  We  left  in  two  parties,  to  meet  at  the  outside 
of  the  city,  which,  perhaps,  was  better  than  to  all  go  together,  as  so 
many  might  tend  more  to  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  Chinese  along  the 
route.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  walk,  meeting  with  no  molestation, 
nor  with  any  incidents  particularly  worth  mentioning.  The  Chinese 
all  seemed  so  happy,  hurrying  along  to  make  their  New  Year's  calls 
on  each  other,  and  displaying  themselves  in  their  best  dresses,  that 
they  scarcely  gave  us  a  passing  notice.  On  every  side  the  people  were 
firing  long  trains  of  crackers,  and  various  detonating  mixtures,  with 
reports  like  cannon,  sometimes  much  to  our  discomfort ;  for  I  was  in 
constant  fear  that  they  would  put  my  eyes  out.  The  streets  were  filled 
with  the  smoke  of  burnt  powder,  and  the  pavements  so  cushioned  by 
the  red  and  yellow  paper  shreds  that  our  feet  made  hardly  any  noise 
in  walking  on  them.  Flags  and  banners  were  waving  from  the  junks  ; 
colored  Chinese  prayer-bills,  like  our  theatrical  bills,  were  hung  up 
over  the  doorways,  and  at  the  sterns  of  the  boats.  Fathers  were  walk- 
ing out  with  lighter  and  quicker  steps  than  usual,  carrying  their 
infants  and  small  children  in  their  arms,  or  leading  them  by  the 
hand.  Their  little  ones  were  so  dressed  in  bright,  showy  colors,  with 
so  much  vermilion  and  gypsum  on  their  faces,  that  several  times  I 
took  them  for  painted  dolls  ;  and  many  were  entering  the  temples  to 
pay  their  devotion  in  their  best  dresses  to  the  idols. 

The  eclipse  of  the  sun  to-day  they  regard  as  a  very  unfavorable 
omen,  happening  as  it  does  on  their  New  Year's  day. 

While  on  the  country  side  of  the  city  we  saw  a  cruel  sight,  charac- 
teristic of  the  Chinese,  and  illustrative  of  the  misery  of  their  beggars. 
In  a  hole  about  five  feet  in  diameter,  and  just  outside  the  city  walls, 
lay  two  Chinese  beggars.  They  had  been  brought  out  of  the  city,  a 
short  time  before,  by  coolies,  in  obedience  to  the  authorities,  and 
thrown  into  this  hole  to  die.  There  they  lay,  with  the  basket  in 
which  they  were  carried,  the  ropes,  stick  and  all,  tumbled  in  together. 
They  wore  hue-beaded  and  bare-footed,  with  sacking  for  clothing, 


304  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

and  crouched  up  as  they  had  fallen  from  the  basket,  gasping  and 
grinding  their  teeth  in  the  agonies  of  death.  We  stopped  and  looked 
at  them,  but  only  for  a  few  moments,  as  our  so  doing  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  passing  Chinese.  One  of  the  beggars,  hearing  our 
voices,  drew  his  hand  slowly  up  and  pointed  significantly  to  his  mouth, 
as  if  to  say,  Give  me  food  and  drink.  It  seemed  hard  to  pass  and  leave 
them  unassisted  :  it  seems  hard  to  pass  any  animal,  dying  of  thirst 
and  hunger,  without  stopping  to  relieve  it.  I  felt  in  my  pocket  for 
an  orange  I  had  placed  there,  generally  having  one  or  two  with  me  ; 
but  it  was  gone,  probably  taken  by  my  boy.  I  looked  to  find  some  one 
selling  them  ;  but  no  one  had  food  or  drink  to  sell  of  any  kind,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  leave  them.  The  Chinese  passed  them  with  the  least 
imaginable  concern  or  feeling.  They  would  give  a  glance  simply, 
indicating  that  they  were  too  used  to  such  sights  to  be  affected,  or 
sometimes  merely  put  a  handkerchief  to  their  own  nose.  But  this  is 
their  way.  So  soon  as  a  beggar  becomes  too  reduced  by  sickness  or 
poverty  to  help  himself,  he  is  taken  up  by  the  authorities,  sent  out 
here,  and  thrown  down  behind  the  walls  to  die.  When  dead,  the 
authorities,  I  believe,  bury  him.  So  long  as  a  beggar  can  move  from 
place  to  place,  he  is  not  interfered  with. 

Yet  I  have  been  told  of  the  report  that  the  beggars  in  some  places 
of  China  have  a  beggars'  society  ;  that  it  is  regularly  organized,  with 
a  president  and  other  officers,  and  has  stated  times  for  meetings ;  and 
that  they  have  a  general  treasury  for  their  collections,  from  which  all 
again  receive  according  to  some  system,  and  that  the  presidents  are 
able  to  retire  every  ten  or  twelve  years. 

At  Hong-Kong  a  Chinese  dwarf,  not  more  than  two  feet  high,  and 
nearly  as  broad  as  he  was  long,  came  around  the  hotel,  begging.  He 
was  twenty-nine  years  old,  showed  that  he  was  well  fed,  and  wore 
clothes  equal  to  the  best  of  shopkeepers.  Causing  a  rabble  to  collect 
around  the  door,  Mr.  W.  endeavored  to  induce  them  to  leave ;  but  lie 
felt  his  importance  so  much  that  he  was  not  to  be  hurried  or  driven. 
At  length  he  became  quite  impudent,  and  Mr.  W.  whisked  him  twice 
with  a  rattan ;  whereupon  the  dwarf  turned  around,  and,  drawing 
himself  up,  poured  out  a  tornado  of  abusive  language,  and  vindicated 
himself  by  saying  that  he  was  not  a  "  miserable  beggar,"  and,  as  a 
proof,  pulled  out  a  string  of  copper  cash  and  held  it  up  in  defiance. 
Then,  replacing  it,  with  an  air  of  independence,  as  if  he  had  gained  his 
cause,  he  seated  himself  upon  the  curb-stone,  where  he  remained  until 
ready  to  go. 

Friday,  13th.  —  Every  morning,  as  I  pass  down  to  breakfast,  I  have 
an  opportunity  to  see  the  gambling  establishments  in  full  operation. 
These  are  long,  shed-like  buildings,  made  of  bamboo,  and  covcivd 
with  matting.  The  gamesters,  hundreds  of  them  in  number,  commence 
at  light  in  the  morning,  and  keep  it  up  till  eleven  at  night,  seemingly 
perfectly  fascinated.  As  they  bestow  their  glances  on  me  when  I  pass, 
they  exhibit  a  disagreeable  set  of  faces;  and  there  is  something  so  evil, 
so  reckless,  so  abandoned,  and  so  villanous,  in  their  looks,  that  I  am 
glad  to  get  past  them. 

1  go  up  to  the  factories  every  day,  either  by  boat  or  through  the 


CANTON. STHKKT-CRIKS.  395 

streets.  I  have  ventured  once  without  a  guide,  though  it  is  two  miles 
there ;  and  I  lost  rny  way  once,  though  I  succeeded  iu  coming  out 
right,  at  last. 

Wednesday,  I3th.  —  I  hardly  slept  at  all,  there  was  so  much  noise 
in  the  streets  during  the  night,  by  the  closing  festivities  of  the  new 
year.  At  times,  last  evening,  there  was  so  much  noise  that  we  could 
not  understand  what  was  said  in  the  room.  This  morning  I  went, 
without  the  aid  of  a  guide,  from  my  lodgings  to  the  house  of  my 
friend,  to  breakfast.  Along  the  streets  the  cry  was  often  addressed  to 
me,  as  I  passed,  "  seen-shong  "  (teacher),  from  the  supposition  that  I 
was  one  of  the  missionaries.  I  went  up  to  the  factories  on  professional 
business.  In  several  streets  the  paper  remains  of  their  crackers  were 
piled  up  in  heaps  like  hay-cocks.  I  returned  to  Dr.  H.'s,  mistaking 
and  getting  into  several  Hongs  before  I  fpund  the  right  one,  and  from 
there  came  down  in  the  boat  with  Mrs.  B. 

This  evening  there  is  a  constant  jargon  of  noises,  enoughrfo  make  a 
nervous  person  crazy.  I  thought  they  had  terminated  the  new  year 
last  night ;  but  I  hope  this  will  be  the  last  of  it.  The  house  is  on  the 
river,  and  we  have  the  tumult  both  from  the  shore  and  boat  people. 
The  air  is  a  hurricane  of  different  sounds  —  crackers,  rockets,  guns, 
the  promiscuous  crying  out  of  boys  and  women,  drums  rattling,  gongs 
beating,  dogs  barking  and  yelping,  musical  instruments  squeaking, 
and  pedlers  crying  different  articles,  vegetables  and  various  kinds  of 
chow-chow  to  be  sold.  A  stranger  would  think  the  Chinese  actually 
crazy. 

Of  all  the  uncouth  sounds  made  by  human  beings,  it  seems  to  me  none 
can  beat  the  Chinese  as  they  go  about  the  streets  selling  their  wares. 
I  never  heard  any  cries  so  dreadfully  disagreeable,  especially  as  they 
strike  the  ear  here,  in  Canton,  early  in  the  morning,  or  in  the  evening. 
1  would  not  undertake  to  describe  them ;  but  only  those  who  have 
heard  them  can  bear  testimony  to  them.  The  hotel  in  Canton  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  Chinese  buildings,  and  every  evening,  often  till 
eleven,  the  pedlers  are  crying  their  various  food  mixtures  about  the  city. 
Many  times  with  friends  have  I  sat  and  commented  upon  them,  and 
all  have  united  in  saying  that  they  have  heard  nothing  to  compare 
with  them.  One  I  recollect  was  Ponn-chee-marrh ;  one,  terribly 
drawling,  Kee-cher-ree-err-r-rh  ;  one,  Kee  Charrh,  like  a  chained  wheel 
grating  down  hill.  One  was  an  explosive  sound  of  Ou-u-u-wah  !  One 
was  a  disconsolate  squall  of  Fou-lah  !  Another  bellows,  as  if  he  had 
burst  out  crying,  Burr-werr-err !  Another  will  pass  along,  crying  out, 
in  short,  loud,  and  quick  syllables,  as  if  addressing  some  one,  Myc- 
kur-lee.  One,  as  if  imitating  the  voice  of  a  young  cow,  with  a  mournful, 
lamenting  dying-away  on  the  last  syllable,  Burr-gur-r-r .  Now  and 
then  will  be  heard  a  blast  as  if  in  the  utmost  distress,  varying  up  and 
down  with  a  running  semitone,  and  you  turn  involuntarily  to  see  if 
any  one  has  been  stabbed.  One  of  the  most  disagreeable  cries  is  from 
those  carrying  around  live  ducks,  in  cages,  to  sell ;  another,  in  selling 
a  kind  of  white  bean  curd. 

The  man  who  lives  next  door  to  Dr.  B.'s  does  not  allow  himself  to 
be  seen  out  of  his  own  house.  He  is  a  mandarin,  and  nominally  iu 


396  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

prison  for  debt  to  the  government.  I  have  seen  his  children,  several 
sons  and  two  daughters,  who  are  very  good-looking,  lie  has  three 
wives —  quite  moderate  for  a  Chinaman. 

Thursday,  Uth.  —  Took  a  trip  in  the  steamboat  "  Spark  "  down  to 
Whampoa,  making  the  long  route,  by  the  Macao  passage,  —  thu  t  is.  1  >y 
passing  around  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  long  island  in  the  river,  — 
and  did  not  amve  till  near  two  p.  M.  All  were  Parsees  (Persians)  on 
board,  except  myself;  but,  as  I  was  acquainted  with  one  of  them  vvliu 
spoke  English,  it  was  not  very  disagreeable,  though  one  among  such 
names  as  Pestongee,  Nowrojee,  Pocbaujee,  Dadabhoy  Hosunjtv, 
Thawerbhoy  Allam,  Nuzmooden  Shojaully,  Surruft'ully  Chadabnoy, 
was  as  much  as  I  wished  to  have  on  mind  at  once.  I  stopped  at  Mr. 
Hunt's,  he  having  invited  me  to  live  with  him  while  at  Whampoa. 

Friday,  15th. — Called  on  Dr.  Smith,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Loomis ; 
after  which  we  took  a  boat  and  visited  the  United  States  ships  of  war 
"St.  Mary's,"  "Plymouth,"  and  the  "Dolphin."  Met  on  board 
Commodore  Geisenger,  Mr.  Davis  (the  United  States  commissioner), 
Mr.  Forbes  (the  American  consul),  and  others.  Went  on  board  the 
Bethel,  and  found  it  nearly  ready  to  receive  the  chaplain.  Mr.  L.,  I 
suppose,  will  be  the  first  to  occupy  the  pulpit,  though  his  mission  is 
ended  with  the  completion  of  the  building. 

In  the  afternoon  I  returned  in  a  boat  alone  to  Canton,  arriving 
about  eight  in  the  evening.  It  is  a  disagreeable  trip  alone  and  after 
dark.  On  the  way  I  met  with  and  joined  Rev.  Mr.  Loomis,  and  a 
small  party  visiting  a  pagoda,  a  few  miles  above  Whampoa.  This,  I 
think,  is  the  prettiest  pagoda  I  have  yet  seen  ;  but  it  is  so  similar  to 
others  that  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  it. 

Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

A    SUNDAY    IN    CHINA. LOST    IN    THE    STREETS. A    CHINESE    RABBLE. 

CHINESE    SYSTEM    OF    NAMES. TRIP   UP   THE    RIVER. GATES.  —  PEN 

PAGODA. SUGAR  MANUFACTORY. MOB. MISSILES  THROWN. LAND- 
ING.   DISHONESTY  OF  BOATMEN.  —  OF  SERVANTS. COUNTERFEITS,  ETC. 

LETTER   TO   MOTHER. 

Canton,  China,  Feb.  \"dh. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  :  I  cannot  realize  that  Sunday  here  is  the  Sab- 
bath day  of  America.  It  seems  more  an  imitation  of  it  than  the 
day  itself.  At  the  same  time  I  should  not  know  how  to  remedy 
it.  This  is  a  heathen  country:  the  people  have  lived  thus  for 
ages :  their  ancestors  have  lived  thus  before  them,  and  nourished,  and 
the  people  of  the  present  day  flourish  in  like  manner.  One  day  to 
them  is  like  every  other  day;  and  they  are  not  easily  to  be  changed 


CANTON. LOST   IN    THE    STREETS.  397 

from  their  national  customs.  I  will,  however,  inform  you  how  I  have 
occupied  this  Sabbath. 

At  present  I  occupy  lodgings  in  the  now  vacant  house  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Roberts  (he  being  absent  at  this  time),  and  take  iny  food  with  Dr.  B., 
at  Puc-ti-rnu,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  I  rose  this  morning 
at  six,  and  ou  my  way  to  breakfast,  at  eight,  passed  the  gambling 
establishment,  which  is  only  one  of  a  great  number  ;  and  some  three 
or  four  hundred  persons  were  crowding  around  the  benches,  nearly  all 
of  whom  were  completely  absorbed  in  their  games,  the  same  as  on  any 
day  of  the  week.  A  few  of  them  only,  seeing  me,  gave  the  usual 
appellation  of  "  Fanqui  loo  !  "  "  Fanqui  loo!  "  and  laughed  as  I 
repeated  the  words  after  them.  After  breakfast  there  was  family  wor- 
ship ;  then  I  read,  &c.,  until  ten  ;  then  walked  alone  up  to  the  factories 
and  extracted  a  tooth  for  Mr.  J.,  and  went  into  church  at  eleven  A.  M. 
Rev.  Mr.  Cleeland  preached  a  very  good  sermon,  though  the  service, 
being  Episcopal,  was  rather  long,  being  nearly  two  hours. 

After  church  I  took  a  short  walk  through  the  streets —  the  Chinese 
as  busy  as  ever,  though  only  servants  were  to  be  seen  in  the  foreign- 
ers' grounds  ;  and  at  one  p.  M.  I  set  out  alone  to  find  my  way  home. 
Although  the  distance  is  two  miles,  and  through  narrow,  intricate 
streets,  I  thought  I  could  easily  accomplish  it,  for  I  knew  the  name  of 
the  place,  and  that  the  house  was  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  I  went 
on  very  well  for  a  while  ;  but,  after  making  a  number  of  turns,  and 

foing  quite  a  distance  without  seeing  anything  that  I  could  recognize, 
concluded  I  had  gone  astray,  or  gone  too  far.  However,  I  continued 
on  till  I  reflected  that  so  many  people  would  not  collect  about  me  in  a 
street  usually  taken  by  Dr.  B.  and  family ;  I  therefore  went  back  a 
short  distance,  turning  in  various  directions,  but  could  recognize  noth- 
ing to  guide  me.  The  boys,  seeing  my  dilemma,  grew  more  impudent, 
apparently  endeavoring  to  increase  my  perplexity,  and  nearly  block- 
ing up  the  streets  I  wished  to  pass.  I  knew  the  direction  of  the  river, 
and  made  a  push  for  it  down  a  narrow  lane,  followed  by  a  crowd  of 
boys,  men,  and  dogs.  The  boys  shouted,  the  dogs  barked  constantly, 
and  the  men  looked  on  and  laughed.  I  could  have  been  easily  vexed 
with  them,  if  that  would  have  done  any  good,. —  such  a  ragged,  dirty, 
worthless  set,  comprising,  as  they  did,  the  very  dregs  of  laziness  and 
poverty,  —  but  I  thought  it  the  best  policy  to  keep  cool. 

Gaining  the  river,!  could  not  discover  Mr.  Roberts' high  house,  nor 
anything  by  which  to  recognize  the  place.  All  was  a  wilderness  of 
boats,  junks,  masts,  and  old  houses,  with  the  Chinese  gang  in  the 
rear.  I  now  tried  to  arrange  with  an  old  woman  to  take  me  in  her 
boat  to  Puc-ti-mu.  She  halted,  and  commenced  a  jabbering.  After  a 
time  I  found  that  she  was  fearful  I  would  not  pay  her,  and  I  showed 
her  the  money  to  pay  her  as  soon  as  she  should  start.  Still  she  kept 
jabbering,  till  I  saw  that  the  difficulty  was  in  the  price  :  she  wanted 
two  dollars,  and  to  be  paid  beforehand,  when  the  usual  price  to  a 
Chinaman  would  have  been  about  ten  cash  —  the  value  of  one  of  our 
cents.  All  this  time  the  crowd  was  increasing,  and  they  filled  the  air 
with  their  confused  noises,  like  so  many  demons.  I  thought  it  best  to 
withdraw  from  them  as  soon  as  possible  ;  for  I  knew  the  excitability 
34 


398  CHINA    AND   MANILLA. 

of  the  Chinese,  and  how  little  it  would  take  to  turn  into  a  mob  such 
set  of  vagabond  men  and  boys.  But  I  was  determined  that  the  boat- 
woman,  and  especially  such  an  ugly-looking  and  ill-behaving  one, 
should  not  impose  on  me  to  that  extent.  She  evidently  thought  I 
would  pay  her  anything  to  get  away  from  the  place  ;  and,  as  the  laud- 
ing behind  me  was  so  blocked  up  with  people,  that  I  should  at  last 
have  to  take  her  boat ;  but  she  found  herself  mistaken. 

I  concluded  to  walk  down  the  river  half  a  mile  further,  and,  if  I 
did  not  find  the  place,  to  return  to  the  factories.  I  made  my  way 
through  the  crowd,  walking  briskly,  and  endeavoring  to  appear  as  if 
I  knew  where  I  was,  and  where  I  was  going.  As  they  pressed  too 
closely,  or  became  insolent  and  boisterous,  I  would  turn  and  motion 
them  away,  when  they  would  fall  back  a  few  steps,  as  if  afraid  of  me ; 
but  I  could  not  convince  them  that  their  presence  was  not  at  all 
required  ;  they  would  return  to  escort  me,  the  moment  my  back  was 
towards  them.  I  could  not  walk  on  the  edge  of  the  river  ;  for 
the  buildings  extended  to  and  over  the  water  ;  and,  when  I  wished  to 
see  it,  I  had  to  take  a  narrow  lane  leading  to  it,  and  then  regain  the 
street,  and  continue  the  course  of  the  river.  The  crowd  continued  to 
volunteer  their  attentions  till  I  reached  the  execution  ground,  when  I 
knew  where  I  was  ;  and,  quickening  my  step,  they  all  dispersed.  I  was 
very  glad  to  reach  the  house,  and  find  a  resting-place  from  such  tor- 
mentors. I  do  not  think  they  meant  me  any  harm,  nor  do  I  think 
they  intended  any  good.  They  are  actuated  more  by  curiosity,  and 
governed  more  by  impulse,  than  by  reason  or  principle.  They  are  of 
this  class  a  frivolous,  effeminate,  weak,  and  superstitious  race. 

Having  dined  at  half-past  two,  I  read  for  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
partly  from  the  book  which  you  always  taught  us  to  read  on  Sunday, 
as  you  know,  and  partly  from  religious  papers,  magazines,  &c.  I  also 
read  over  some  letters  from  home  :  though  a  year  old,  still  they  were 
interesting,  in  the  absence  of  later  dates. 

There  is  an  open  square  at  the  side  of  the  house,  and  this  afternoon 
the  mandarins  were  very  busy  passing  through,  with  their  long  trains 
of  servants.  My  attention  was  several  times  attracted  towards  them, 
to  see  what  they  were  $oing.  I  found  they  were  making  calls  on  a 
brother  mandarin,  who  received  them  on  board  of  his  revenue  boat. 
It  appeared  ludicrous  enough  to  see  them  stand  and  so  many  times 
bow  and  motion  to  each  other  as  to  which  should  go  first ;  and  this, 
too,  when  it  was  well  understood  to  whom  precedence  was  finally  to 
be  yielded.  They  were  richly  dressed  in  their  silk  robes,  and,  with 
their  numerous  servants  in  uniform,  they  made  considerable  show. 

We  had  tea  at  half-past  six,  after  which  I  went  with  the  family  to 
the  factories  to  Dr.  Parker's  meeting.  Dr.  B.  had  preached  all  day 
to  his  Chinese  audience,  and  did  not  go.  We  were  all  at  home  again 
at  nine,  and,  after  reading  till  tea,  the  boy  took  the  lantern,  and 
lighted  me  through  the  streets  up  to  my  room.  At  this  hour  the 
streets  are  very  little  frequented,  except  by  the  watchmen,  though  I 
believe  the  gamblers  remain  up  till  about  twelve.  After  retiring,  I 
read  till  near  midnight.  And  this  has  been  the  experience  of  one 
Sunday  in  Canton ;  the  others  are  very  much  like  it. 

Affectionately,  your  son,         B.  L.  B. 


CANTON. CHINESE   NAMES   OF   PERSONS.  399 

The  custom  of  naming  children  here  does  not  appear  to  be  in 
accordance  with  any  regular  system.  The  Chinese,  in  speaking  of 
their  children,  say  the  "  first  "  child, — son  or  daughter,  as  the  case 
maybe,  —  the  "  second,"  "  third,"  &c.  There  is  a  notorious  pirate 
whose  name  is  Shap-ing-sai,  the  meaning  of  which  is,  "  fifteenth 
child."  The  name  of  my  Chinese  landlord  in  Canton  is  A-cow-o, 
signifying  "  ninth  child,"  and  applies  to  females  as  well  as  males. 
A-cow-o  also  signifies  dog,  and  would  as  soon  be  given,  I  am  told, 
with  that  signification,  as  with  the  other;  for  many  Chinese  believe 
that  bestowing  names  significant  of  happiness,  prosperity,  or  good  of 
any  kind,  will  have  unfavorable  influences  on  the  children's  lives, 
property,  &c.,  afterwards.  My  friend  asked  his  boat-woman,  whose 
name  is  A-kow-o,  whether  her  name  meant  dog,  or  ninth  child. 
She  said  she  did  not  know,  but  supposed  it  meant  dog. 

An  individual  may  have  several  names.  The  first  as  a  child,  which 
the  Chinese  call  the  "milk  name."  Afterwards  there  is  added  the 
"  school  name,"  then  the  "  marriage  name,"  then  the  "  oificial 
name,"  &c. 

There  is  a  little  work,  translated  by  the  daughter  of  a  missionary, 
entitled  "  The  Hundred  Family  Surnames."  These  were  the  original 
names  of  the  Chinese,  from  which,  as  I  understand,  all  others  are 
derived.  I  believe,  however,  by  additions  since  made  there  are  five  hun- 
dred, which  is  not  a  very  large  number  to  be  the  source  of  two  or 
three  hundred  millions  of  others.  I  will  subjoin  a  few  of  them. 


Seaou,  Mr.  Small. 
Woo,  Mr.  Vociferate. 
Han,  Mr.  Low-wall. 
Wan,  Mr.  Long-garment. 
Tung,  Mr.  Pass-through. 
Tang,  Mr.  Hold-up-the-head. 
Tseen,  Mr.  Money. 
Shuuy,  Mr.  Water. 
Kin,  Mr.  Gold. 


Ma,  Mr.  House. 
Lung,  Mr.  Husband. 
Tavu,  Mr.  Beautiful. 
Chow,  Mr.  Circle. 
Paou,  Mr.  Violent. 
Kan,  Mr.  Sweet. 
Hing,  Mr.  Hope. 
Wan,  Mr.  Ten-thousand. 
Tung,  Mr.  Child. 


Monday,  February  ISth.  — At  an  early  hour  this  morning  I  took  a 
boat  to  Dr.  B.'s,  calling  him  up  before  light.  We  drank  our  coffee, 
and  at  half-past  four,  with  our  two  boats,  were  off  for  the  trip  of  a 
hundred  miles  up  the  river.  We  called  at  the  factories,  added  a  little 
more  to  our  stores,  and  proceeded  on,  with  no  definite  place  in  view. 

The  first  stop  we  made  was  at  the  coal  mountain,  or  island,  which 


400  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

I  have  before  spoken  of,  that  the  mandarins  will  not  have  worked. 
We  walked  nearly  its  whole  extent,  the  boats  keeping  along  the  shore. 
We  passed  on  our  right  a  very  long  dike,  formed  of  stone,  piles,  and 
trees.  At  the  "  gates,"  so  called,  we  landed,  and  visited  on  both 
sides  the  two  hills  which  constitute  the  "  gates,"  one  of  which  we 
ascended  to  the  summit,  and  had  a  pretty  view  from  it.  We  dis- 
tributed tracts  at  every  place  where  we  stopped.  A  few  boys  followed, 
but  they  were  quite  civil,  and  seemed  pleased  to  receive  them. 

Two  miles  further,  we  stopped  at  a  pagoda,  situated  on  a  point  of 
land,  and  called  "  pen  pagoda,"  from  its  similarity  to  a  Chinese 
writing-pen.  Near  by,  some  men  were  ploughing,  with  one  bullock 
attached  to  the  plough. 

A  few  miles  onward,  leaving  two  or  three  villages  on  our  left,  we 
stopped  at  a  military  station,  called  in  Chinese  "  trusty  ground." 
The  garrison  consisted  of  only  three  or  four  men,  who  were  soldiers 
on  guard.  They  were  very  civil  towards  us. 

We  passed  more  villages  on  our  left.  The  river  divided,  and  we 
took  the  left  branch.  After  a  few  miles,  we  stopped  where  there  were 
five  or  six  buildings,  and  a  sugar  manufactory.  A  number  of  men 
were  at  work  trimming  the  stalks  of  a  large  pile  containing  several 
cords  of  sugar-cane.  The  proprietor  was  very  polite,  asking  us  into 
the  mill,  and  offering  us  sugar  and  syrup,  as  much  as  we  liked.  Two 
bullocks  were  grinding  the  cane,  and  showed  their  fear  of  us  by  jump- 
ing and  snorting  each  time  they  passed  us. 

We  continued  by  several  places,  on  each  bank  of  the  river,  where 
we  had  called  on  a  former  excursion  ;  and  stopped  at  several  villages, 
distributing  tracts,  the  people  being  well-disposed. 

Towns  of  considerable  size  were  situated  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
river,  and  in  each  there  was  a  high,  tower-like  building,  designed  for 
a  refuge  to  the  inhabitants  in  times  of  freshet.  At  one  of  these  towns 
soldiers  were  out  on  parade,  and  they  made  a  great  stir  and  noise  in 
firing  their  matchlocks.  We  gave  out  a  few  tracts,  and  proceeded 
along  the  river's  banks. 

We  made  our  way  comfortably  and  peaceably  till  the  latter  part  of 
the  day,  when  things  began  to  assume  a  different  aspect.  We  landed 
at  several  places,  not  directly  in  front  of  the  towns,  but  a  little  on  one 
side,  so  that  we  might  not  have  to  face  the  whole  population  at  once, 
and  to  avoid  surprising  them  too  much  by  our  sudden  appearance. 
At  one  place  they  gathered  about  so  rapidly,  and  in  such  numbers, 
and  appeared  to  be  so  disrespectful,  that  we  thought  it  best  to  move  on. 


CANTON. A    CHINESE    MOB.  40 1 

We  then  came  to  a  village  which  stretched  along  the  river  for  quite  a 
distance,  and  there  a  party  of  boys  followed  on  the  bank,  hooting  and 
shouting,  and  increasing  in  numbers  as  they  passed  on.  They  seemed 
to  wish  us  to  stop,  but  we  paid  no  attention  to  them,  and  continued 
up  the  river.  After  a  while  they  began  to  throw  pieces  of  bricks  and 
earthenware,  which  struck  in  the  water  near  us,  using  noisy  exclama- 
tions. The  further  we  went  the  more  numerous  and  tumultuous  they 
became,  and  the  thicker  fell  their  missiles  ;  but,  as  we  had  already 
gone  two  or  three  miles  along  this  town,  we  thought  we  should  soon 
get  past  it,  and  Dr.  B.  encouraged  the  boatmen  to  pull  hard.  The 
banks  became  more  thickly  settled,  until  they  appeared  to  be  covered 
with  one  long  city.  Still  we  thought  that  every  angle  of  the  river  we 
could  see  ahead  would  mark  the  termination  of  the  settlements  ;  but 
in  this  we  were  disappointed.  The  further  we  went  the  further  the 
city  extended,  till  there  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  it ;  and  the  narrowing 
of  the  river  made  our  position  more  disagreeable,  as  it  brought  us 
within  the  reach  of  the  showers  of  stones  and  brickbats.  Things 
really  began  to  look  a  little  serious.  Gongs  sounded  along  the  shore, 
the  mob  swelled  in  numbers,  and,  while  it  was  before  composed  of 
boys,  now  men  intermingled  with  them.  The  shouts  became  more 
tumultuous.  Missiles  of  various  kinds  splashed  in  the  water  in  all 
directions  around  us,  some  hitting  the  boat,  and  some  the  boatmen  ; 
and  we  sat  in  the  back  of  the  boat,  expecting  every  moment  that  the 
stones  would  break  through  its  thin  bamboo  covering. 

I  looked  at  Dr.  B.,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  What  is  best  to  be  done  ?  " 
but  he  sat  very  thoughtfully,  and  seemed  to  be  revolving  the  subject 
in  his  mind.  The  boatmen  were  so  frightened  as  to  be  hardly  con- 
scious of  what  they  were  doing  ;  which  was  not  so  much  to  be  won- 
dered at,  as  they  had  not  the  protection  of  a  covering  above  them. 
The  old  woman  at  the  steering-oar  contrived,  after  a  stone  had  struck 
her  arm,  to  slide  something  over  her  head,  which  effectually  shielded 
her  from  above,  though  she  was  still  exposed  sideways  ;  and  she  tugged 
away  at  the  oar  as  if  for  her  life,  all  the  time  pouring  out-volumes  of 
maledictions  on  somebody  or  something,  I  knew  not  whom. 

The  sun  had  set,  and  the  collection  on  the  banks  had  increased,  and 
became  so  clamorous  and  threatening,  that  we  decided  to  come  to  an 
understanding  with  them.  The  boat  was  turned  towards  the  shore, 
and  the  people  paused,  neither  throwing  anything  nor  shouting  as  we 
advanced,  but  standing  motionless  in  a  crowd,  and  gazing  fixedly  upon 
us.  As  soon  as  the  boat  touched  at  a  litte  jetty  of  flat  stones,  my 
34* 


402  CHINA   AND   MAXILLA. 

friend  stepped  forward  with  a  bunch  of  tracts  in  his  hand,  and  spoke 
to  them  in  their  language.  At  first  they  seemed  to  listen  in  fear  and 
suspense,  but  soon  gave  attention,  and  manifested  eager  curiosity.  It 
was  explained  that  we  visited  them  to  distribute  tracts  and  medicine, 
without  pay,  and  not  as  thieves  and  robbers  to  do  them  harm,  &c.  £c. 
lie  then  held  out  a  tract,  which  was  hesitatingly  taken  by  the  near- 
est one.  In  a  few  moments  they  became  so  eager  that  they  could  not 
be  served  fast  enough,  and  I  joined  in  the  distribution.  They  crowded 
so  from  behind  that  both  of  us  could  not  sufficiently  supply  them  to 
keep  the  boat  free,  and  the  boatmen  began  to  assist ;  and  all  of  us 
together  were  unable  to  supply  the  outstretched  hands,  those  forward 
being  pushed  into  the  water  and  standing  around  us.  There  soon 
began  to  be  demands  for  medicine,  which,  being  already  prepared  for 
several  of  the  prevailing  affections,  was  dealt  out  nearly  as  rapidly  as 
the  tracts.  And  many,  no  doubt,  sought  the  medicine  to  keep,  in 
anticipation  of  its  need  ;  for  there  was  no  time  to  make  examinations, 
an3,  if  the  disease  was  not  visible,  their  word  had  to  be  taken  for  it. 

It  began  to  be  dark,  and,  the  throng  increasing,  our  boat  was  nearly 
overwhelmed.  Those  supplied  could  not  get  away  as  fast  as  those 
behind  were  crowding  up  ;  and,  fearing  some  unpleasant  consequences, 
we  thought  it  best  to  leave  as  soon  as  practicable.  The  boatmen  were 
told  to  be  in  readiness,  and,  at  the  first  opportunity,  the  boat  was 
pushed  off.  On  their  perceiving  this,  a  number  of  them  rushed  into  the 
water,  and  we  gained  but  a  few  paces  before  there  were  many  hands 
holding  the  boat.  These,  one  by  one,  released  their  hold  to  receive 
the  tracts  presented  them  ;  and  by  degrees  our  boat  gained  a  position 
beyond  their  depth,  and  we  were  out  of  their  reach.  A  division  of 
the  channel  of  the  river  at  this  place  enabled  us  to  turn  down  the  other 
branch,  which  was  further  from  the  city  than  the  route  by  which  we 
came.  A  few  Chinese  ran  along  the  bank  on  the  opposite  side,  crying 
out,  and  keeping  nearly  abreast  of  us  ;  and  our  boatmen  pulled  hard, 
especially  when  they  saw  another  boat  pursuing  us.  This,  being  much 
smaller  tha-n  ours,  overtook  us,  and  came  alongside  ;  but,  the  demand 
of  two  or  three  Chinamen  for  tracts  and  medicine  only  being  agree- 
ably complied  with,  they  left  us. 

It  having  become  too  dark  to  be  distinguished,  we  thought  to  turn 
about  and  pursue  our  original  plan  up  the  river  ;  but  the  boatmen 
refused,  and  the  more  we  expostulated  with  them,  the  more  vigorously 
they  pulled  in  the  direction  of  Canton.  We  concluded,  therefore,  to 
let  thorn  have  their  own  way  for  the  night,  hoping  that  in  the  niuru- 


CANTON. CONTUMACIOUS    BOATMEN.  4vj3 

ing  they  would  get  over  their  fears,  although  it  would  probably  bo 
easier  to  pass  the  city  in  the  evening  unobserved  than  by  daylight ; 
and,  that  accomplished,  we  believed  we  should  be  able  to  go  on  with- 
out much  further  molestation. 

The  boatmen  continued  their  course  down  the  river  to  a  city,  where 
they  mingled  in  with  a  multitude  of  other  boats.  We  could  t-oe 
nothing  but  lights,  dark  masses  of  buildings,  boats,  and  masts.  Our 
boat  was  kept  dark,  so  that  we  should  not  be  observed  ;  the  slides  in 
the  sides  were  drawn  ;  the  front  was  enclosed  with  blankets,  which 
the  men  had  taken  the  precaution  to  provide  themselves  with,  both 
for  their  safety  and  ours  ;  the  lantern  was  lighted,  and  we  partook 
of  our  simple  dinner.  The  boatmen  remained  so  that  no  one  should 
come  on  board  ;  and,  after  we  had  extinguished  the  light  and  retired, 
it  was  amusing  to  listen  to  them  as  they  replied  to  the  inquiries  of 
other  boatmen  respecting  this  boat ;  where  it  was  from,  where  going, 
why  it  was  enclosed,  what  was  within,  &c.  ;  and  the  evasive  an- 
swers and  lies  of  our  boatmen.  However,  we  were  only  listeners, 
and  felt  no  responsibility  for  what  they  said,  or  any  particular  desire 
to  make  ourselves  conspicuous  in  contradicting  them.  We  could 
only  laugh  to  hear,  back  and  forth,  the  answers  and  replies  elicited 
by  the  various  questions.  Our  boatmen  told  them  that  within  were 
two  sick  Chinamen  going  to  Canton,  and  other  things  equally  absurd. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  19/A. — Early  this  morning  we  conferred  together 
about  prosecuting  our  journey  further  into  the  country.  I  was 
ready,  if  my  friend  thought  proper.  This  being  settled  affirmatively, 
the  boatmen  were  told  to  proceed.  But  they  had  not  recovered  from 
their  fright  of  yesterday,  and  strongly  objected.  -We  endeavored  to 
persuade  them,  and  combatted  their  excuses,  some  of  which  seemed 
very  foolish ;  but  as  fast  as  one  excuse  was  met,  others  were  brought 
forward.  It  was  in  vain  that  we  offered  to  double  their  pay,  to  find 
their  food,  to  buy  and  pay  them  for  their  boat,  which  they  were 
afraid  would  be  destroyed  ;  and  we  were  obliged  to  yield  to  them,  and 
descend  the  river  to  Canton,  having  accomplished,  perhaps,  forty 
miles  of  the  hundred  we  attempted. 

Continuing  our  course  homeward,  we  came  to  a  branch  of  the  river 
flowing  in  from  an  opposite  direction,  which  we  proposed  to  the 
boatmen  to  ascend ;  but  they  opposed  everything  we  could  offer. 
Finally,  they  consented  to  take  us  up  to  the  first  village,  a  distance 
of  about  two  miles.  Stopping  there,  and  finding  no  obstacles,  they 
were  induced  to  go  to  the  next,  a  few  miles  above  ;  and  then  they 


404  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

were  prevailed  on  to  go  further,  till  we  had  made  about  twelve  miles, 
when  they  refused  to  proceed.  Coaxing  nor  threats  would  change 
their  determination,  and  we  told  them  we  would  row  the  boat  our- 
selves, supposing  that  they  would  be  ashamed  and  relent,  rather  than 
to  have  us  row  them.  They  made  no  objection  to  this,  and  we  took 
the  oars  and  pulled  away  up  the  river.  After  some  miles,  finding  our 
hands  blistered,  and  no  disposition  on  their  part  to  change,  we 
reluctantly  allowed  them  to  take  the  oars  and  turn  about ;  and  we 
were  again  on  our  way  home,  where  we  arrived  safely,  calling  on  our 
way  at  the  country  seat  of  Powtinqua,  formerly  the  wealthy  tea- 
merchant. 

We  arrived  home  in  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon ;  after  which 
I  took  a  walk  to  the  execution  grounds,  to  see  if  there  were  any  signs 
of  executions  there  to-day.  I  found  that  one  had  taken  place  just 
before.  I  went  to  the  ground,  and  saw  five  bodies  and  five  heads  lying 
near  each  other,  just  as  the  executioner  had  left  them,  after  the  blow 
of  the  cutlass. 

Thursday,  Feb.  21st .  —  I  passed  through  the  execution  ground  as 
I  wrent  to  breakfast  this  morning,  to  see  if  the  bodies  executed  yester- 
day still  remained  there,  and  found  them  being  tumbled  into  coffins 
of  rough  boards.  The  heads  were  thrown  into  the  heap  of  forty  or 
fifty  heads  in  the  little  pen. 

This  morning,  at  half-past  nine,  I  attended  the  funeral  of  Mrs.  Wliil- 
den.  She  died  on  the  night  of  the  19th  instant.  Commissioner  Davis, 
the  consul,  and  others,  were  present.  Rev.  Dr.  Parker  officiated. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  were  missionaries,  and  have  been  out  about  a  year. 
She  has  left  three  young  children.  The  body  is  carried  to  French 
Island,  Whampoa. 

Yesterday  news  came  that  the  Emperor  of  China  was  dead ;  but 
there  seems  to  be  much  doubt  whether  it  is  the  emperor  himself,  his 
mother,  wife,  son,  or  even  his  aunt ;  they  seem  only  to  know  that  it 
is  one  of  the  royal  family. 

It  is  now  cold  weather  again,  requiring  a  good  fire  to  be  comforta- 
ble. Yesterday  Dr.  B.  paid  his  head  boatman  all  that  was  due 
him,  and  discharged  him  from  his  service,  for  having  refused  to 
make  restitution  of  the  dollar  stolen  from  me ;  but  the  boatman 
denied  having  taken  it,  and  swore  and  made  so  much  noise  that  it 
was  thought  best  to  pay  him,  in  order  to  keep  the  peace.  AVhen  we 
made  our  last  trip  up  the  river,  we  slept  one  night  on  board  the  boat. 
In  the  morning,  an  hour  or  two  after  sunrise,  I  had  washed,  and  W;IH 


CANTON. INSTANCES    01'    CHINESE   DISHONESTY.  4(JO 

wiping  my  face  with  a  towel,  when,  my  body  being  bent  over  to  pre- 
vent the  water  dripping  from  my  face  to  my  clothes,  a  silver  dollar 
dropped  out  of  my  vest  pocket.  I  continued  wiping,  intending  to 
pick  it  up  when  I  should  get  through ;  meanwhile,  I  saw  the  boat- 
man's bare  foot  come  from  behind  me,  place  itself  upon  the  dollar, 
and  then  slowly  drag  itself  and  the  dollar  away ;  and  then  I  saw  his 
hand  lower  itself  and  pick  it  up.  Concluding  that  he  wished  to  joke 
with  me  a  little,  and  make  me  think  I  had  lost  it,  I  said  nothing 
about  it.  In  the  afternoon  I  was  mentioning  it  to  Dr.  B.,  and  stating 
my  supposition  that  the  boatman  was  keeping  it  for  a  joke,  when  he 
said,  "  0  no,  he  will  not  joke  about  it!  "  and  he  asked  the  man  to 
give  the  money  up.  The  boatman  denied  that  he  had  seen  it.  We  did 
not  say  much  about  it  until  we  arrived  home,  when  Dr.  B.  asked 
him  again,  telling  him  that  I  wanted  it,  that  it  belonged  to  me,  &c. 
The  man  again  stoutly  denied  it.  I  then  explained  the  whole  pro- 
cess ;  how  he  had  done  with  his  foot,  that  I  was  looking  all  the  time, 
and  that  he  was  the  only  one  in  the  front  part  of  the  boat.  He  again 
denied  it ;  and,  in  return,  accused  us  of  having  taken  two  dollars  out 
of  his  drawer  during  the  night ;  and  he  also  went  through  with  all  the 
particulars,  how  we  had  done  it,  &c.  When  we  came  on  board  he 
borrowed  fifteen  cents  to  buy  rice  for  his  breakfast,  so  that  it  is  not 
very  plausible  that  he  had  two  dollars  to  be  lost.  Dr.  B.  told  him 
that  he  should  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him  unless  he  gave  up 
the  money  ;  and  he  refused  and  denied  it  again,  and  wanted  us  to  go 
into  the  temple  near  by,  and  settle  it  before  the  gods,  with  the  dice- 
blocks,  on  the  principle  of  throwing  up  a  cent,  to  condemn  or  to 
clear  by  the  heads  or  tails  which  came  up.  However,  the  boatman 
held  on  to  the  dollar,  running  the  risk  of  losing  Dr.  B.'s  patronage, 
and  he  let  him  go. 

Dr.  B.  related  several  similar  instances  of  their  dishonesty  ;  one,  a 
cooly,  stole  oil  directly  before  his  eyes,  and  when  accused,  flatly 
denied  it. 

Once  here  in  China  I  had  some  money  to  deposit.  The  gentle- 
man at  the  head  of  the  house  said,  "  Hand  it  to  the  comprador  When 
it  is  ready,  and  he  will  take  charge  of  it."  Knowing  from  experi- 
ence that  the  Chinese  were  up  to  every  species  of  deception,  I  deter- 
mined this  time  that  there  should  be  nothing  by  which  they  could 
take  any  advantage.  Therefore,  in  my  room  alone,  I  counted  out  th'e 
money,  three  hundred  dollars,  into  groups  of  a  hundred  dollars  each. 
These  three  groups  I  divided  into  rows  counting  ten  each  way.  I 


406  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

counted  over  three  times  the  piles  of  ten  each,  the  rows  each  way, 
and  the  three  groups  of  a  hundred  each.  Perfectly  satisfied  of  the 
correctness  of  what  I  had  taken  pains  to  put  beyond  a  doubt,  I  called 
the  comprador,  and  said  to  him,  "  Here  are  three  hundred  dollars  for 
you."  "Very  well,"  he  said;  "you  have  makee  counter?" 
"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  I  have  makee  counter."  He  took  up  the  hem  of 
his  frock,  and  began  scraping  the  money  off  into  it.  I  remonstrated, 
and'endeavored  that  he  should  put  it  back  and  count  it.  "0,"  he 
said,  "  he  would  count  it  in  the  office."  I  followed  him  around  to 
the  office,  when  he  poured  the  money  upon  the  table.  He  counted  it, 
and  there  was  thirty-two  dollars  short.  I  could  not  but  admit  it  to  bo 
so  here,  though  it  was  hard  to  persuade  myself  that  there  was  thirty- 
two  dollars  short  in  my  room ;  but  there  was  no  appeal  from  this, 
and  I  allowed  it  to  be  so.  The  comprador  seemed  so  sincere  and 
consistent  that  I  could  not  have  had  it  in  my  heart  to  distrust  him, 
had  I  not  before  seen  some  similar  dissimulations. 

A  whaler  came  into  Hong-Kong  one  evening,  and  Chinese  boats,  as 
usual,  went  alongside;  and,  before  they  had  left,  they  left  on  board 
over  two  hundred  counterfeit  dollars.  They  had  various  articles  to 
sell,  for  which  they  asked  exorbitant  prices.  When  an  offer  was  made 
by  the  sailors  for  anything,  the  Chinamen  wished  to  look  at  the 
money  ;  and,  taking  it  into  their  hands,  whirling  it  over,  contrived  to 
change  it  for  their  spurious  money,  and  handed  it  back,  saying  that 
they  did  not  want  that  money.  The  sailor,  knowing  his  money  to  be 
good,  would  go  and  get  other  money,  perhaps  borrowing  some  of  his 
shipmates ;  which,  on  handing  over,  would  be  served  in  the  same  way. 
The  next  day,  much  to  their  surprise,  they  discovered  the  deception  ; 
but  too  late  to  be  remedied. 

Many  instances  which  have  come  under  my  observation  could  be 
adduced  of  the  many  ways  of  purloining  by  the  servants,  as  taking 
money  out  of  my  secretary  from  within  two  locks,  —  changing  the 
money,  by  taking  out  good  dollars  and  replacing  with  those  of  short 
weight,  or  with  those  in  which  lead  had  been  mingled,  &c.  I  have 
taken  pains  to  note  down  the  amounts  and  kinds,  in  my  drawers, 
from  day  to  day  ;  and  by  seeing  the  changes  occurring,  could  then 
be  assured  that  it  was  not  myself  who  was  always  mistaken,  as  I  was 
disposed  to  believe  formerly.  And  I  have  occasionally  found  wanting 
sums  from  one  dollar  up  to  twenty,  and  quite  frequently  small  sums 
from  a  few  cents  upwards. 

A  Chinaman  told  me  that  there  was  a  company  of  Chinese  within 


CANTON. A    FANTASTIC    ASSEMBLAGE.  407 

the  walls  manufacturing  spurious  money,  copper  dollars  silvered,  and 
that  the  men  were  so  secret  it  was  very  difficult  to  detect  them  ;  and 
that  the*  agents  of  the  company  were  scattered  about  in  different 
places.  There  are  many  dollars  here  in  circulation  with  holes  cut 
into  or  through  them,  and  an  equal  quantity  of  lead  supplied.  One 
course  of  some  of  the  Chinese  is  to  bore  silver  out  of  the  rims  of  the 
Spanish  or  Mexican  dollars  and  fill  up  with  lead.  The  money  is 
generally  more  or  less  hacked  and  mutilated.  The  practice  of  every 
Chinaman  stamping  the  piece  with  his  mark,  as  it  passes  through  his 
hands,  flattens  and  cuts  it  so  that  it  soon  crumbles,  and  must  be 
weighed  to  ascertain  its  value.  Frequently  the  shroffs,  whose  business 
it  is  to  examine  the  money,  may  be  seen  at  the  doorways  of  the 
houses  of  the  foreigners,  with  heaps,  by  the  bushel,  of  broken  dol- 
lars, around  which  several  are  sitting  and  assorting  the  coin. 

A  large  boat,  or  junk,  took  fire  this  evening,  illuminating  the  river 
beautifully.  We  could  see,  in  all  directions,  the  small  boats  pulling 
towards  it  for  plunder,  not  to  aid  in  saving  the  vessel  or  property. 

Spent  a  pleasant  evening  in  conversation  at  Dr.  B.'s,  with  the  fam- 
ily, and  with  Lysung,  a  converted  Chinese,  who  has  received  his  edu- 
cation in  America,  and  now  is  a  missionary  teacher  in  Dr.  B.'s  school. 

In  returning  from  our  trip  up  the  river,  the  other  day,  I  noticed  a 
Chinaman  of  the  laboring  class  going  to  market ;  and  his  wife  followed 
behind,  carrying  a  child  on  her  back,  and  two  large  baskets  of 
vegetables  in  her  arms.  She  had  as  much  as  she  could  manage  to 
get  along  with  her  load,  while  he,  erect  and  empty-handed,  marched 
oS  with  a  free  and  bounding  step. 

As  I  looked  out  this  morning,  I  noticed  quite  an  assemblage  form- 
ing in  the  square,  in  front  of  the  temple,  with  much  parade  and 
ceremony.  There  were  several  mandarins,  with  their  servants  in 
uniform,  who  were  forming  a  procession  to  visit  another  of  a  higher 
grade,  and  to  take  some  presents  to  him.  There  were  four  sedan- 
chairs,  very  tastefully  ornamented  and  gilded  ;  in  one  of  which  there 
wore  two  live  geese,  in  another  two  hats,  and  in  another  a  roast  pig, 
presents  to  the  one  to  be  visited.  There  were  two  men  with  red 
canopies,  eight  men  with  red  placard-boards,  and  two  with  bunches 
of  crackers  on  the  ends  of  sticks,  which  were  fired  when  the  proces- 
sion started.  They  were  dressed  in  uniform,  a  red  frock  and  cap,  ex- 
cept six  or  eight  boys,  pretended  musicians,  who  were  attired  in  hand- 
some gowns,  something  like  dressing-robes,  and  brought  up  the  ivar. 
They  all  appeared  like  a  troop  of  boys,  and  looked  very  fancifully. 


408  CHINA    AND    MANILLA. 

In  this  square  I  once  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  a  Chinese  thea- 
tre and  performance.  We  were  in  the  house  of  a  friend,  which  made 
one  corner  of  the  square,  and  could  see  very  distinctly  by  looking 
through  the  shades  of  the  windows  ;  but  this  a  few  moments  only  at  a 
time,  as  the  eyes  of  the  suspicious  Chinese  were  often  raised  towards 
the  house.  As  I  remember  now,  the  building  of  the  theatre  was  a 
light  frame-work  of  bamboo  poles,  lashed  together  with  rattan,  with 
the  roof  and  three  sides  enclosed  by  strips  of  matting,  and  afforded 
ample  room  for  a  stage,  dress-room,  band,  &c.  Upon  one  side,  discon- 
nected, was  an  enclosure  like  a  shed,  covered  with  matting,  which 
would  be  called  the  boxes.  Here  were  seated  the  ladies,  the  principal 
part  of  the  audience  being  the  men  standing  in  a  close  body  in  the 
open  square  before  the  theatre.  The  partition  excluded  all  view  be- 
tween the  two,  though  it  admitted  sufficient  to  the  stage,  which  was 
elevated  ten  or  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground.  The  play  was  of  the 
harlequin  order,  by  male  actors  only,  some  of  whom,  in  ladies'  dresses, 
represented  females  when  required.  Considerable  obscenity  occasion- 
ally appeared  ;  but,  from  the  bursts  of  applause,  we  should  say  that 
the  play  was  highly  commended.  The  ladies  in  the  boxes  were  decked 
out  in  rich  silks,  each  with  the  frock,  skirt  and  bloomers,  in  different 
colors  ;  and  with  large  heads  of  shining  black  hair,  ornamented  with 
flowers.  Jewelry  glistened  from  their  ears,  hands,  and  arms.  There 
were  among  them  several  handsome  faces,  but  all  wanting  in  intellect, 
in  soul,  in  something  besides  life,  to  distinguish  them  from  large  dolls 
finely  dressed  and  painted.  They  evidently  make  no  secret  of  paint- 
ing, neither  are  they  at  all  particular  as  to  the  thickness  of  the  coat 
laid  on.  The  contrast  between  these  three  different  places,  the  boxes 
full  of  bright  colors,  with  the  monotonous  sea  of  bald  heads  and  yel- 
low skins  of  the  men,  was  very  marked  ;  and,  with  the  fantastic  robes 
of  the  actors,  conspired  to  present  a  scene  lively,  novel,  and  interesting. 
The  theatre  remains  here  but  a  few  days,  when  it  is  taken  down  and 
put  in  operation  in  another  part  of  the  city,  where  the  performance  is 
renewed,  and  thus  changed  to  other  localities  in  the  city. 


MACAO. ARRIVAL.  —  COOLTKS.  409 


CHAPTER    XLIV. 

LETTER  TO  A  SISTER.  ARRIVAL  AT  MACAO. ASPECT  BY  EVENING.  — 

MR.  SMITH'S  HOTEL. — MALICIOUS  BOATMEN.  —  THE  PRAYA  GRANDE. — 
VIEW  FROM  THE  HOTEL.  PUBLIC  SQUARE. VISIT  TO  THE  CATHE- 
DRAL, CEMETERY,  MR.  MARQUE'S  GARDEN,  AND  BARRIER. 

LETTER  TO  SISTER  L.  F. 

Macao,  February  28th. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  am  now  located  at  Mr.  Smith's  hotel,  in  Macao. 
The  building  is  very  large,  but  I  can  see  no  one  about  except  a  Chinese 
servant.  I  asked  him  where  all  the  people  of  the  hotel  were,  and  he 
answered, 

"  No  have  got  n'  other  man." 

And  under  the  circumstances  I  feel  quite  lonely,  landed  as  I  am  in 
a  strange  place  in  the  evening,  and  alone.  It  is  dark,  cold  and  cheer- 
less, with  no  fires,  and  no  living  thing  to  speak  to.  I  am  also  disap- 
pointed in  haying  recently  missed  the  "  Plymouth,"  on  its  expedition 
to  Cochin-China. 

I  arrived  this  evening  by  the  steamer  from  Canton,  a  distance  of 
sixty  miles,  in  a  little  more  than  eight  hours.  There  are  four  steamers 
running  here,  but  none  have  the  speed  of  our  steamers  in  America. 
The  passage-money  is  eight  dollars,  two  dollars  for  the  dinner,  twenty- 
five  cents  to  get  aboard,  twenty-five  to  get  ashore,  and  twenty-five  for 
a  cooly  to  carry  the  baggage  to  the  hotel :  making  for  the  fare  about 
eleven  dollars.  To  go  to  Hong-Kong,  where  you  require  tiffin,  it  is  a 
dollar  and  a  half  more. 

Macao  looked  very  beautiful  as  we  approached  ;  the  shore  forming 
a  crescent,  —  a  row  of  white  buildings  running  in  parallel  circle  with 
it,  and  a  hill  at  each  extremity  rising  up  like  a  pyramid,  and  crowned 
with  large  white  structures.  This,  with  the  beautiful  phosphorescent 
state  of  the  water,  like  molten  silver  of  the  luminous  green,  blue  and 
white,  mixed  in  various  shades  of  color,  displaying  such  lights  and 
flashes,  as  the  heavy  swell  broke  upon  the  sea-wall,  and  the  moon 
shedding  its  silvery  light  over  the  whole,  gave  Macao  the  prettiest 
appearance  of  any  city  I  have  seen  yet.  You  would  be  amused  to  see 
the  boat-girls,  as  they  come  off  after  passengers.  There  were  tlireo 
girls  to  each  boat ;  the  sea  was  rather  rough,  and  they  came  with 
such  impetuosity,  each  one  striving  to  be  first,  that  I  thought,  if  tliey 
did  not  dash  their  boats  to  pieces  against  the  steamer,  they  would 
against  each  other.  As  it  was,  one  boat,  in  the  strife,  took  fire. 
Every  boat  has  its  Josh  or  idol,  with  incense-sticks,  and  sacrificial 
paper  ;  and  this  took  fire,  and  blazed  away,  but  was  put  out  by  them 
directly. 

After  the  confusion  was  over,  I  took  a  boat  and  came  ashore.     The 
moment  I  landed,  a  Chinaman  hurried  up,  and  said, 
35 


410  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

"  Wanche  cooly,  manderle?"  (mandarin.) 

"  Yes,"  said  I. 

In  a  moment  several  of  them  had  hold  of  my  baggage,  and  carried 
it  to  the  hotel,  only  a  few  rods  distant.  For  this  he  wanted  pay  for 
all.  I  saw  that  there  were  eight  men,  three  only  being  necessary  for 
four  pieces  of  baggage  ;  and  had  noticed  four  or  five  of  them  walk 
alongside  of  it,  pretending  to  assist  by  holding  or  putting  their  hands 
on  it ;  and  I  would  not  be  imposed  upon.  I  told  him  to  come  to- 
morrow, and  I  would  see  the  landlord,  and  if  he  said  that  was  right, 
or  more,  I  would  pay  it.  He  grumbled  away  that,  "  the  landlord  no 
sarva  cooly  pigeon,"  and  insisted  upon  being  paid  there  ;  but  I  said 
"  no,"  and  left  him,  and  they  went  away. 

March  1st.  —  In  making  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Smith  to-day, 
I  was  surprised  when  he  told  me  that  he  was  a  native  of  Calcutta, 
and  had  been  in  China  twenty  years.  He  has  a  large  landed  prop- 
erty, but  it  is  now  of  little  value,  he  says,  owing  to  the  great 
decline  of  property  since  Hong-Kong  was  established,  and  the  business 
diverted  from  Macao.  He  lives  six  or  seven  doors  from  here,  and 
carries  on  ship-chandlery  business  underneath  his  hotel.  His  family 
consists  of  a  wife  and  four  children,  —  two  daughters,  of  nine  and 
eleven  years,  and  two  sons,  of  six  and  seven.  Mrs.  S.  is  a  Macao 
•woman  ;  that  is,  a  Portuguese.  At  dinner,  upon  sitting  down  to  the 
table  one  of  the  girls  asked  a  blessing,  and  upon  rising  the  other 
returned  thanks.  I  returned  to  tea  in  the  evening,  and  afterwards 
listened  to  singing  and  music  on  the  piano.  I  met  there  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
L.  and  others  from  five  different  nations,  —  French,  English,  Portu- 
guese, East  Indian,  and  American.  I  believe  that  I  have  visited  all  the 
cities  at  the  ports  open  to  foreigners  here,  and  now  I  think  I  shall  rest 
content  as  regards  China.  Other  places,  in  other  countries,  I  will  not 
answer  for  at  present ;  I  cannot  say  how  far  my  restless  disposition 
may  carry  me.  If  you  recollect,  you  first  set  the  example,  and  you 
must  be  silent  if  I  follow. 

********** 

It  is  wonderful  to  see  how  early  training,  the  kindness  and  teach- 
ings of  parents,  are  so  impressed  upon  the  mind,  as  to  appear  so  often 
in  after  years,  and  under  circumstances  so  various.  I  think  we  have 
nothing  to  complain  of,  as  regards  parents  of  that  stamp.  And  if  we 
ourselves  are  remiss  in  our  duties,  we  certainly  cannot  charge  it  to 
any  remissness  on  their  part.  These  early  impressions  are  so  firmly 
fixed  upon  my  own  mind,  that  time,  distance,  sickness,  or  any  circum- 
stance, cannot  remove  them.  They  have  been  with  me  by  night  and 
by  day,  in  my  dreams  and  in  wakefulness,  at  sea  and  on  land.  They 
have  been  with  me  while  I  lay  upon  the  sick  bed,  or  was  in  the  pursuit 
of  pleasure  at  the  volcano's  top  ;  in  the  Christian  place  of  worship, 
and  in  the  temple  of  idols  ;  while  attending  the  service  of  a  holy 
Being,  and  while  listening  to  the  chanting  monks  before  their  senseless 
images. 

The  boat-girl  was  the  first  caller  I  had  this  morning.  She  wished  for 
her  pay.  I  had  inquired  the  regular  price,  and  paid  her  double  that 
sum  ;  but  she  demurred  even  then,  as  they  generally  do.  I  have 


MACAO.  —  A    CHINESE   LADY'S   FOOT.  411 

sometimes  paid  them  several  times  more  than  their  usual  fee,  to  see  if 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  satisfying  them  ;  and  then  they  have-  held  out 
their  hands,  saying  Cumshaw  (give  me  present).  The  coolies  —  eight 
great,  lazy,  dirty,  villanous-looking  fellows  —  next  called  for  their  pay. 
I  gave  my  boy  the  money,  and  told  him  to  pay  them,  at  the  same  time 
asking  him  if  that  was  enough  ;  he  said  "  Yes,"  but  wished  me  to  pay 
them  myself,  as  the  men  did  not  like  him.  1  then  took  the  money, 
but  the  head  cooly  refused  it,  and  I  laid  on  the  table  before  them 
exactly  double  their  usual  pay.  lie  claimed  pay  for  the  eight ;  but  I 
told  him  three  coolies  always  carried  the  baggage.  I  was  busy  writing, 
and  he  asked  the  boy  for  the  money,  took  it,  and  then  demanded  more. 
I  said  "  No  !  "  whereupon  he  raised  his  arm  to  throw  it  at  me.  As  I 
sprang  up  towards  him,  he  lowered  his  hand,  dashed  it  upon  the  table, 
spattering  the  ink  over  my  paper,  &c.,  and  quickly  retreated  out  of 
the  room.  I  knew  enough  of  the  Chinese  character  to  be  convinced 
that,  with  all  his  show  of  fury  and  rage,  he  would  return  again,  if  it 
was  only  for  five  cash,  when  he  should  find  that  I  was  not  to  be  im- 
posed on.  He  remained  about  the  house,  waiting  outside  till  he  could 
get  an  opportunity  to  see  me  ;  and  when  he  did,  he  concluded  to  take 
the  sum  offered,  with  the  addition  of  a  few  cash  which  I  gave  him  as 
a  present.  How  he  settled  with  the  others,  I  do  not  know  ;  —  they  all 
went  off  together.  Yesterday,  while  I  was  walking  on  the  Praya 
Grande  towards  the  country,  the  same  cooly  followed  me  from  a  dis- 
tance. My  boy  said,  "  That  cooly  man,  number  one,  bad  man ! 
Every  man  he  likey  makee  squeeze  pigeon,  alia  same." 

But,  with  all,  I  have  never  seen  a  Chinaman  intoxicated.  I  have  seen 
them,  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  highly  excited  ;  but  never  drunk, 
though  I  have  heard  of  their  being  so.  They  drink  what  they  call 
wine  (Samchu) ,  an  alcohol  distilled  from  rice.  On  some  occasions, 
dining  with  Chinese  acquaintances,  I  have  tasted  it,  and  found  it  much 
like  reduced  alcohol.  It  is  poured  out  hot  into  little  cups,  from  a 
small  porcelain  tea-pot,  and  drank  as  wine. 

I  can  see  none  of  the  small  feet  about  here.  And  I  had  forgotten 
to  mention,  while  at  Ningpoo,  that  I  had  the  opportunity  of  examin- 
ing one  of  the  small  feet.  The  woman  at  first  strongly  objected  ;  but, 
through  the  persuasion  of  my  friend,  she  at  last  consented  ;  at  the 
same  time  she  said  she  did  not  know  why  I  wanted  to  see  her  foot,  for, 
according  to  their  ideas,  it  is  only  pretty  when  bandaged  and  inserted 
into  its  little  shoe,  and  surrounded  with  embroidery  ot  different  colored 
silks.  She  reluctantly  unbound  the  bandages,  and  exposed  a  deformity 
which  one  would  hardly  suppose  had  ever  been  a  foot.  It  was  a  with- 
ered, ill-shapen,  bloodless,  tumor-like  mass  of  flesh.  One  sees  a  point 
for  the  great  toe,  without  the  other  toes  ;  a  high,  disproportioned  instep, 
with  a  fissure  underneath.  The  foot  is  doubled  upon  itself,  the  solo 
touching  the  heel,  leaving  a  fold  like  a  loop  between  them.  The  four 
smaller  toes  are  turned  underneath,  so  that  their  backs  form  a  portion 
of  the  foot  walked  upon.  Should  the  woman  now  attempt  to  hear  any 
weight  upon  the  foot,  the  fold  will  open  and  the  foot  spread  out,  be- 
coming so  flabby  as  to  afford  no  support  in  standing  ;  and  she  is  com- 
pletely crippled  until  the,  bandages  are  renewed,  and  the  parts  drawn 


412  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

to  their  places  in  a  solid  mass.  The  odor  is  offensive,  notwithstand- 
ing that  the  bandages  are  frequently  changed.  It  sometimes  happens 
to  the  child,  when  the  bandages  are  first  applied,  —  which  is,  I  think, 
from  the  age  of  three  to  eight,  —  that,  being  too  tight,  the  circulation 
has  been  stopped,  and,  after  much  suffering  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
gangrene  ensued,  the  feet  separated,  and  came  off  at  the  ankles.  I 
had  made  in  Mngpoo  a  wooden  carving  of  the  small  foot,  which  I 
shall  send  home.  It  is  formed  exact  from  the  living  foot,  with  all 
the  bandages  and  dressings  upon  it. 

With  regards  to  all,  yours, 

B.  L.  B. 

LETTER  TO   A   SISTER. 

Macao,  China,  March  Id. 

Mr  DEAR  SISTER  H.  :  The  rooms  in  the  hotel  where  I  stop  are 
large,  airy,  and  comfortable.  A  fine  veranda  encircles  the  house  on 
two  sides,  where  may  be  enjoyed  the  fresh  breeze.  We  have  a  view 
of  the  harbor  in  front ;  and  on  the  other  side  is  a  large  pile  of  disa- 
greeable-looking buildings,  with  the  top  of  a  pretty  hill  rising  up 
behind. 

Macao  is  to  the  people  in  China  something  like  our  Nahant  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Boston  and  vicinity.  The  principal  merchants  keep 
houses  here,  in  addition  to  those  they  have  at  Canton  or  Hong-Kong ; 
and  they  come  here  as  often  as  they  choose,  to  enjoy  a  little  quiet,  or 
catch  a  breath  of  fresh  air  in  the  hot  weather. 

The  population  comprises  about  fifteen  thousand  Portuguese  ;  but 
how  they  live,  since  business  has  been  transferred  to  Hong-Kong, 
is  a  mystery.  Many  of  them  probably  suffer.  The  morning  after  niy 
arrival,  several  females,  of  forty  or  fifty  years  of  age,  looking  very 
respectable,  and  as  though  they  had  seen  prosperous  times,  made  their 
appearance  beneath  my  window,  begging. 

Directly  beneath  the  veranda,  in  front  of  the  hotel,  is  the  Praya 
Grande,  —  a  pretty  street,  thirty  or  forty  feet  wide,  and  stretching 
round,  upon  the  edge  of  the  water,  on  either  side,  in  the  shape  of  a 
crescent.  A  line  of  houses  fronts  the  harbor,  like  those  fronting 
Boston  Common.  The  harbor  looks  like  a  beautiful  lake,  there  being 
no  outlet  visible,  on  account  of  the  islands  in  the  distance.  There  is 
a  harbor  on  the  other  side  of  the  city,  called  the  inner  harbor,  extend- 
ing from  this  side  around  the  point. 

There  are  no  vessels  here  at  anchor  ;  nor  boats,  except  the  small 
ones  belonging  to  the  boat-women,  which  they  live  in,  anchored  a  little 
way  from  the  shore. 

At  each  extremity  of  the  Praya  Grande  is  a  formidable-looking  group 
of  buildings,  consisting  of  churches,  dwelling-houses  and  fortifications, 
rising  up  and  crowning  the  summit  of  the  hill.  Near  the  centre  of  the 
Praya  Grande,  on  the  sea-wall,  and  in  front  of  the  governor's  house,  is 
a  small  battery  of  five  or  six  guns.  It  is  the  one  that  the  English 
took  last  summer,  in  liberating  a  British  subject,  who  had  infringed 
upon  the  Portuguese  laws,  by  keeping  his  head  covered  at  one  of 
the  Catholic  ceremonies ;  persisting  m  doing  this  after  he  had  received 


MACAO. STREET    "VIEW.  413 

several  warnings,  and  for  which  he  was  taken  to  prison  by  the  police. 
The  next  day,  an  English  man-of-war  landed  a  party  of  marines,  made 
an  onset,  disarmed  the  guard,  shot  one  man,  and  forcibly  released  the 
prisoner.  They  contended,  in  their  defence,  that  Macao  did  not  belong 
to  the  Portuguese,  —  that  they  were  on  China  ground,  &c.,  —  as  if 
Macao  was  not  allowed  an  acknowledged  government.  The  general 
opinion  in  China  about  the  affair  is,  that  the  man  behaved  foolishly  in 
getting  himself  into  prison,  and  that  the  English  behaved  foolishly 
in  getting  the  man  out. 

From  the  veranda,  on  the  other  side,  we  have  a  view  of  a  public 
square,  or  rather  of  a  public  triangle.  On  its  front  is  the  Praya 
Grande,  with  a  row  of  stone  seats.  A  few  paces  beyond  is  a  fortifica- 
tion, where  sentinels  may  be  seen  keeping  guard  ;  and  on  the  opposite 
side  from  us  are  the  disagreeable-looking  buildings  spoken  of  before. 
They  are  separated  by  high  brick  walls,  plastered  on  the  outside,  and 
painted  yellow.  They  are  gloomy-looking  ;  and  I  have  just  ascer- 
tained that  they  are  monasteries.  Just  behind  them  rises  up  a  pretty 
hill,  the  top  of  which  is  covered  with  small  green  pines. 

As  I  now  sit  at  my  window,  and  look  down  into  the  little  triangu- 
lar square  before  me,  I  see  a  platoon  of  soldiers  marching  up  to  the 
barracks  ;  and  behind  them  a  parcel  of  China  boys  straggling,  with 
the  soldiers'  mattresses.  There  goes  a  Chinese  cooly  on  a  half-run, 
stooping  under  the  weight  of  two  large  buckets  of  water.  Here,  at  the 
corner  nearest,  are  some  goats,  with  their  kids  feeding  around  them. 
A  dozen  dogs  are  gravely  seated  near  by,  apparently  holding  a  council ; 
and,  judging  from  size  and  color,  various  races  of  them  are  there  rep- 
resented. Yonder  are  three  boat-girls,  on  the  stone  seats,  and  talking 
busily.  How  disgustingly  their  hair  is  dressed  !  —  what  a  mass  of 
false  hair  is  platted  on  behind  over  that  ugly  frame-work !  Their 
dress  is  very  simple,  but  not  particularly  clean  :  blue  pants  and  blue 
frocks  reach  nearly  to  the  knee,  and  they  have  naked  feet  and  bare 
heads.  All  the  Chinese  within  sight,  just  now,  are  bare-footed  and 
bare-headed.  There  stands  a  Chinaman,  over  the  way,  with  his  mouth 
wide  open,  looking  up  at  me.  He  sees  me  using  my  pencil,  but 
cannot  imagine  what  I  am  doing  ;  astonishment  and  curiosity  are 
plainly  depicted  in  his  countenance.  There  are  some  pedlers  ;  one 
of  them  has •  sweetmeats  ;  another,  pea-nuts;  the  other,  vegetables. 
The  pea-nut  man  has  sold  a  cash  worth  (or  one  twelfth  of  a  cent's 
value),  and  he  seems  pleased  to  have  traded  even  to  that  extent.  The 
nuts  are  all  laid  out  into  cash  bunches,  and  cannot  be  a  very  profitable 
business.  What  horrid  voices  they  have,  as  they  cry  their  goods ! 
Another  pedler  is  just  entering  the  square  with  some  Chinese  soup, 
the  nature  of  which  I  do  not  know,  but  the  odor  would  not  recommend 
it  to  foreigners.  One  would  think,  from  his  voice,  that  his  throat  was 
full  of  files  and  saws,  and  that  he  had  practised  his  cries  to  imitate 
those  of  the  peacock  and  guinea-hen.  There  now  is  a  new  arrival  ; 
two  countrymen  have  made  th.eir  appearance  on  the  right,  and  stand 
with  tln-ir  heads  thrown  back,  and  mouths  wide  open,  looking  up  at 
my  womlorful  self.  Tin-ir  pure  greenness,  idiotic  stare,  and  doubly- 
bronzed  complexion,  indicate  them  to  be  fresh  from  the  country.  Their 
35* 


414  CHINA   AND    MANILLA. 

hair  is  braided  into  long  tails,  and  that  of  one  touches  the  ground. 
They  are  looking  up  at  me  with  great  earnestness,  —  there  being  no 
other  foreigner  in  sight,  —  and  judging  probably  for  themselves  whether 
I  am  a  real  Fanqui-loo,  or  flesh  and  blood  like  themselves.  They 
seeui  quite  doubtful  about  it,  for  they  shrink  back  with  fear  when 
I  look  at  them.  Ah  !  I  hear  music  somewhere.  Yes,  a  company  of 
soldiers  are  coming  down  the  flight  of  steps  from  the  fort,  preceded 
by  a  band  of  music.  It  is  not  quite  equal  to  a  Boston  band,  but  it  is 
enlivening  to  hear  this  evening.  They  are  marching  across  the  square 
to  go  to  the  governor's  house,  where  they  will  relieve  guard.  The 
rear  portion  has  separated,  and  will  march  to  another  part  of  the  city 
for  a  similar  purpose.  They  occupy  the  position  both  of  soldiers  and 
police.  On  the  Praya  Grande  are  several  Chinese  boys  playing  with 
cash,  a  species  of  gambling.  They  commence  young,  and,  I  believe, 
are  addicted  to  it  nearly  to  the  last  hour  of  their  lives.  Here  is  a 
barber,  a  very  important  man  ;  he  carries  the  stool  to  sit  upon,  and 
shaves  without  soap,  the  person  to  be  shaved  taking  a  seat  in  the 
street,  or  anywhere  he  may  happen  to  be.  Several  females  are  pass- 
ing out  of  those  disagreeable,  yellow-looking  buildings,  wearing  long 
shawls,  that  answer  both  for  hoods  and  cloaks.  All  the  Chinese 
within  sight  are  very  shabbily  dressed,  and  very  dirty.  But  they  are 
of  the  lowest  class. 

The  Bother  morning  I  breakfasted  with  Mr.  L.,  and  in  the  alley 
leading  to  his  house  he  pointed  out  to  me  the  bullets  lodged  in  the 
door  which  he  had  fired  at  Chinese  robbers,  who  were  in  the  night 
endeavoring  to  break  in.  The  French  consul  at  Canton  lately  came 
near  being  murdered  by  his  own  servant,  a  Chinese  cooly.  As  the 
consul  was  seated,  reading  a  newspaper,  in  his  room,  the  cooly  came 
behind  him  and  struck  him  upon  the  head  with  a  cleaver.  The  cooly 
waiting,  and  seeing  that  the  blow  was  not  fatal,  became  alarmed, 
dropped  his  weapon,  and,  running  down  the  stairs,  mingled  in  the 
throng  of  Chinese,  and  thus  escaped.  His  object  probably  was  plun- 
der, for  there  had  been  no  difficulty  between  them.  The  consul  was 
much  injured,  but  is  recovering.  The  cooly  has  not  yet  been  appre- 
hended, and  most  likely  will  run  clear,  and  be  taken  care  of  by  his 
Chinese  friends. 

You  have  probably  heard  of  Governor  Amaral's  death  here.  He 
was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  lady  in  Lisbon.  The  day  was  ap- 
pointed, and  the  ceremonies  to  take  place  by  proxy.  Four  days  before 
that  time  arrived  he  was  murdered.  She,  of  course,  being  twelve  or 
fifteen  thousand  miles  distant,  could  not  have  known  of  his  death, 
and  must  have  been  married  to  a  man  who  had  been  dead  four  days. 
When  she  hears  of  his  death  she  must  realize  the  singularity  of  her 
position. 

My  regards  to  all,  &c.  Yours,  &c.,  B.  L.  B. 

LETTER   TO   A   SISTER-IN-LAW. 

Macao,  China,  March  3d. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  E.  This  morning,  according  to  previous  arrange- 
ment, T  breakfasted  with  the  French  gentleman,  Monsieur  L. 


MACAO.  CATHEDKAL  AND  CEMETERY.          415 

Breakfast  being  over,  notwithstanding  the  rain,  I  sallied  out  to  take 
a  view  of  the  cathedral,  which  stands  conspicuously  in  the  midst  of 
other  buildings,  crowning  the  hill  near  by.  As  the  Portuguese  are  all 
Roman  Catholics,  this,  of  course,  is  a  Roman  Catholic  church.  It  is 
very  handsome,  and,  I  am  told,  cost  forty-six  thousand  dollars.  The 
Catholics  are  the  most  zealous  of  professed  Christians,  and  have  the 
most  splendid  churches.  We  went  immediately  inside,  where  a  row 
of  candles  were  burning  all  around  the  walls.  At  the  further  end  was 
the  altar,  glittering  with  images.  Above  these  were  suspended  on  the 
walls  paintings  of  Christ  on  the  cross,  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  of 
some  of  the  saints.  The  bishop,  a  large,  fat  man,  sat  in  a  little  recess, 
with  a  show  of  pomp,  covered  with  sparkling  robes.  The  priests  were 
chanting  and  going  through  their  forms  of  worship,  which  reminded 
me  much  of  the  ceremonies  in  several  monasteries  of  the  Chinese 
which  I  have  visited. 

There  were  no  seats,  and  the  floor  of  the  church  was  filled  with 
females  on  their  knees,  their  long  shawls  thrown  over  their  heads,  and 
their  appearance  generally  reminding  me  of  nuns,  convents,  confes- 
sionals, veils,  and  lady  superiors.  When  they  arose  to  go  out,  an  op- 
portunity presented  of  seeing  their  faces,  which  were  anything  but 
attractive.  There  were  the  black,  brown,  red,  yellow  and  white,  and 
all  the  intermediate  shades,  with  very  few  comely-looking  ones  among 
them  ;  though  in  Macao,  notwithstanding,  there  are  many  good-look- 
ing and  some  handsome  ladies. 

I  told  my  friend,  who  is  a  Catholic,  that  I  did  not  like  their  looks 
at  all,  and  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  most  unfeminine-looking  faces  of 
the  whole  city  were  collected  here  ;  and  he  did  not  dissent  from  my 
opinion. 

Leaving  the  church,  we  went  to  the  Catholic  cemetery,  on  a  neigh- 
boring eminence  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  which  we  ascended  by  a  long 
flight  of  stone  steps.  As  I  looked  up  I  thought  we  were  about  to  enter 
another  church  ;  but  it  proved  to  be  only  the  front  and  sides  of  a  former 
church,  fashioned  into  a  cemetery.  We  entered  by  an  iron  gate,  which 
was  opened  by  the  sexton.  What  had  been  the  body  of  the  church 
was  now  laid  out  with  gravel-walks  and  rows  of  trees.  In  the  sides 
were  rows  of  shelves,  for  the  coffins,  six  tiers  high,  and  sealed  up  from 
the  air  with  plaster.  In  the  floor  formerly  under  the  galleries  were 
sealed  vaults  ;  and  at  the  further  end  were  the  vaults  of  three  bishops, 
whose  bodies  there  repose.  The  slabs  covering  them  were  full  of 
inscriptions. 

We  passed  from  this  into  an  open  space,  which  was  the  ceme- 
tery for  the  poor.  Adjoining  was  a  private  enclosure,  belonging  to  the 
family  of  a  wealthy  merchant.  This  seemed  to  close  up  another  com- 
munication between  the  two  cemeteries.  Here  is  a  handsome  monument, 
on  which  the  family  name  is  inscribed.  The  two  entrances  are  closed 
l>y  large  iron  gates.  The  whole  space  is  paved  with  solid  hewn 
granite  blocks,  and  beneath  is  the  vault. 

From  this  place  we  extended  our  walk  to  the  Protestant  cemetery. 
A  dead-house  is  connected  with  it,  and  a  Chinaman  is  constantly  in 
charge.  The  ground  is  low,  containing,  I  should  say,  half  an  acre. 


416  CHINA   AND   MANILLA. 

There  are  a  number  of  monuments,  but  the  graves  are  mostly  marked 
with  granite  slabs,  placed  horizontally,  with  sides  and  end-pieces  for 
supports.  One  of  the  first  that  attracted  my  attention  was  the  mon- 
ument of  Dr.  Brooks,  surgeon  of  the  United  States  navy.  He  was 
from  Philadelphia,  and  attached  to  the  "  Plymouth."  I  was  very  well 
acquainted  with  him,  having  lived  at  the  same  house,  and  taken 
pleasant  excursions  in  his  company.  There  was  one  larger  monument 
than  this,  but  none  so  chaste  and  well  proportioned.  It  was  erected 
by  the  officers  of  the  United  States  navy  of  the  China  squadron.  It 
is  about  four  feet  square,  but  in  height  a  little  more,  with  a  globular- 
shaped  piece,  rising  pyramidically  upon  the  top.  It  stands  on  a  base 
about  five  feet  square,  and  fifteen  inches  thick,  all  of  granite.  I  think 
a  fine  taste  was  displayed  in  its  selection.  Among  the  names  of  others 
I  noticed  that  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spear  (missionary)  and  wife  ;  Mr. 
Bacon,  of  Barnstable  ;  Mr.  Waldron  and  Capt.  Bridges,  from  Salem. 

Our  walk  next  took  us  to  the  garden  of  Mr.  Marques,  a  wealthy 
Portuguese  gentleman,  situated  on  a  considerable  eminence,  at  the 
other  side  of  the  city.  It  was  quite  extensive,  and  filled  with  walks, 
shade  and  fruit  trees,  flowers,  arbors,  retreats,  &c.  There  are  several 
small  eminences  in  the  grounds,  from  one  of  which  is  a  view  of  the 
inner  harbor,  where  ships  of  any  size  may  anchor.  On  this  eminence 
is  a  kind  of  tower,  with  a  terrace  on  the  top,  surrounded  by  a  granite 
railing,  with  seats,  where  may  be  enjoyed  the  cool  sea-breezes.  Upon 
another  hill  were  lodged  several  immense  rock  boulders,  forming 
a  romantic  spot,  which,  in  its  wild  state,  was  the  favorite  retreat 
of  a  Portuguese  poet  of  the  fifteenth  century.  The  boulders  are  now 
fitted  up,  by  bricks  and  plaster,  into  a  kind  of  grotto,  in  which  stands 
the  bust  of  Camino,  the  poet.  Upon  the  walls  are  various  inscrip- 
tions, and  on  the  top  of  all  is  built  a  place  of  resort  for  a  hot  summer 
evening. 

Macao  is  a  peninsula,  much  like  Boston,  and  has  a  narrow  neck, 
uniting  it  to  the  rest  of  China.  Towards  this  we  directed  our  steps, 
to  go  a  little  way  into  the  country.  We  walked  leisurely  along, 
enjoying  the  fresh  air,  viewing  the  hills,  vales,  people,  houses, 
&c.,  with  nothing  4o  disturb  us,  excepting  once,  when  a  number  of 
large  blue  buffaloes  came  chasing  after  us,  puffing  and  blowing,  till 
within  a  few  rods  of  us,  when,  like  their  Chinese  masters,  they  stopped 
and  stared  at  us.  After  a  few  minutes  they  came  on  galloping  again, 
stopping  at  intervals,  until  their  keeper  came  and  took  charge  of 
them.  We  were  very  glad  of  this,  for  we  expected  to  have  to  give 
battle  to  them  before  they  would  leave  us. 

On  the  neck  is  the  "  Barrier,"  stretching  entirely  across,  sepa- 
rating the  Chinese  from  the  Portuguese,  and  forms  the  frontier  line 
between  the  two  nations.  In  the  centre  is  a  gateway,  called  the  Bar- 
rier Gate.  The  barrier  is  a  wall  about  four  feet  thick,  fifteen  feet 
high,  and  built  of  brick,  earthen  ware,  stones,  and  mortar.  A  few 
rods  before  reaching  it  there  is  a  stone  post  marking  the  place  where 
Governor  Amaral  was  murdered  by  the  Chinese  last  summer.  Inside 
of  the  Chinese  part  are  the  ruins  of  houses  which  the  Portuguese  sol- 
diers destroyed  ;  and  about  half  a  mile  beyond,  upon  a  hill,  is  the 


MACAO. PREPARATIONS    TO    LEAVE   CHINA.  417 

Chinese  fort,  which  was  also  taken  at  the  same  time,  in  revenge  for 
the  murder  of  the  governor.  We  returned  by  the  road  the  making 
of  which,  because  it  had  disturbed  the  burial-places  of  their  dead, 
incensed  the  Chinese  to  take  the  life  of  the  Portuguese  governor. 

A  road  was  necessary,  and  their  burial-places  covered  every  spot  of 
ground  six  feet  square,  so  that  there  was  no  place  where  a  road  would 
not  interfere  with  them.  However,  the  feelings  of  the  Chinese  people 
should  have  been  regarded,  and  their  minds  pacified,  by  a  proper  rein- 
terment of  the  remains  taken  up. 

I  ought  to  remark,  in  justice  to  the  Chinese,  that  some  of  my  ac- 
quaintances in  China  have  expressed  to  me  their  unbelief  that  the 
Chinese  intend  to  apply  the  term  "  foreign  devil  "  to  foreigners ;  that 
Fanqui  means  simply  foreign  spirit,  and  would  require  the  addition  of 
another  word  to  make  it  either  devil  or  bad  spirit,  or  good  spirit  even, 
though,  among  foreigners,  the  general  acceptation  is  foreign  devil. 
Dr.  B.,  of  Canton,  once  took  a  child  to  task  for  calling  him  foreign 
devil.  The  little  fellow  looked  him  earnestly  in  the  face,  and  asked, 
"  What  may  I  call  you,  then?  "  This  Dr.  B.  thinks  to  be  the  condi- 
tion of  nine  tenths  of  the  Chinese  people  —  that  they  know  of  no  worda 
by  which  to  address  them  as  foreigners  but  the  Fan-qui,  foreign  spirit. 

The  other  day,  while  dining  out  with  a  friend,  I  could  not  but  re- 
monstrate with  him  (out  of  place  as  it  might  be)  for  giving  his  child 
half  a  glass  at  a  time  of  sherry  wine.  The  child  was  a  pretty  boy  of 
four  years  old,  with  a  large  and  finely-formed  head,  which  was  rolling 
from  side  to  side  under  the  effects  of  the  stimulus,  at  the  same  time 
he  was  talking  and  laughing,  in  frequent  half-idiotic  bursts.  The  child 
drank  it  readily,  as  its  stomach  was  already  fevered  by  former  draughts  ; 
and  the  parent,  whose  love  got  the  better  of  his  reason,  looked  on  with 
gratification.  A  father  who  will  give  a  child  spirituous  drinks  has 
only  himself  to  reproach  if  that  child  should  live  even  to  become  a 
drunkard  and  a  criminal.  But  I  must  close. 

Truly  yours,  B.  L.  B. 

P.  S.  March  I2th.  —  It  rains  here  almost  incessantly  at  this  sea- 
son of  the  year,  which  makes  my  stay  in  Macao  not  a  very  agreeable 
one.  There  are  very  few  but  Portuguese  in  Macao  during  the  cool 
season.  This  afternoon  I  have  heard  of  a  vessel  bound  for  Java,  and 
this  evening  I  have  been  aboard  with  Monsieur  Lafon,  to  ascertain 
about  her.  She  is  a  Dutch  vessel,  the  "  Macao,"  commanded  by  Capt. 
De  Groot,  and  is  going  to  Batavia  in  the  morning.  It  seems  a  rather 
sudden  move  for  me,  at  so  short  a  notice,  to  think  of  leaving  China. 
But,  taking  all  things  into  consideration,  —  the  changing  of  the  monsoon 
nixt  month,  &c.,  —  I  have  concluded  to  leave  with  the  vessel.  It  is 
now  past  eleven  at  night,  and  I  have  many  arrangements  to  make, 
letters  to  write,  bills  to  settle,  trunks  to  pack,  &c.  &c.  ;  and  I  have 
just  been  out  to  my  landlord's  to  settle  with  him,  but,  finding  the  house 
dark,  returned,  accomplishing  nothing,  and  withal  I  am  to  be  on 
board  to-morrow  morning  at  daylight.  I  may  not  be  able  to  effect  it ; 
but,  if  this  letter  closes  with  this  date,  you  may  take  it  for  granted 
that  I  have  completed  my  tour  in  China,  and  sailed  for  Java. 

B.  L.  B. 


LIST  OF  BOOKS 

PUBLISHED   BY 

JAMES  FRENCH  &  CO., 

78  Washington  Street,  Boston. 


SCHOOL  BOOKS. 

FOSTER'S  BOOK-KEEPING,  BY  DOUBLE  AND  SINGLE 

ENTRY,  both  in  single  and  copartnership  business,  exemplified  in 
three  sets  of  books.     Twelfth  Edition.  8vo.  Cloth,  extra.    .    1  00 

FOSTER'S  BOOK-KEEPING,  BY  SINGLE  ENTRY,  ex- 
emplified in  two  sets  of  books.  Boards 38 

FRENCH'S  SYSTEM  OF  PRACTICAL  PENMAN- 
SHIP, founded  on  scientific  movements  ;  combining  the  principles 
on  which  the  method  of  teaching  is  based.  —  Illustrated  by  en- 
graved copies,  for  the  use  of  Teachers  and  Learners.  Twenty- 
seventh  Edition 25 

This  little  treatise  seems  well  fitted  to  teach  everything  which 
can  be  taught  of  the  theory  of  Penmanship.  The  style  proposed 
is  very  simple.  The  copperplate  fac-similes  of  Mr.  French's 
writing  are  as  neat  as  anything  of  the  kind  we  ever  saw.  — 
Post. 

Mr.  French  has  illustrated  his  theory  with  some  of  the  most 
elegant  specimens  of  execution,  which  prove  him  master  of  his 
science.  —  Courier. 

1 


JAMES  FRENCH   AND    CO.'S   PUBLICATIONS. 

The  following  Writing  Books  are  offered  on  Liberal  Terms. 

FRENCH'S  NEW  WRITING  BOOK,  with  a  fine 
engraved  copy  on  each  page.  Just  published,  in  Four  Numbers, 
on  a  highly-improved  plan. 

No.  1  Contains  the  First  Principles,  &c 10 

No.  2  A  fine  Copy  Hand 10 

No.  3  A  bold  Business  Hand  Writing 10 

No.  4  Beautiful  Epistolary  Writing  for  the  Lady 10 

James  French  &  Co.,  No.  78  Washington  street,  have  just  pub- 
lished a  new  series  of  Writing  Books  for  the  use  of  Schools  and 
Academies.  They  are  arranged  upon  a  new  and  improved  plan, 
with  a  copy  on  each  page,  and  ample  instructions  for  learners. 
We  commend  them  to  the  attention  of  teachers  and  parents.  — 
Transcript. 

They  commence  with  those  simple  forms  which  the  learner  needs 
first  to  make,  and  they  conduct  him,  by  natural  and  appropriate 
steps,  to  those  styles  of  the  art  which  indicate  the  chirography 
not  only  of  the  finished  penman,  but  which  are  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  those  who  wish  to  become  accomplished  accountants.  — 
Courier. 

A  new  and  original  system  of  Writing  Books,  which  cannot  fail 
to  meet  with  favor.  They  consist  of  a  series,  and  at  the  top  of 
each  page  is  a  finely-executed  copy.  We  cordially  recommend  the 
work.  —  Bee. 

It  is  easily  acquired,  practical  and  beautiful. — Fitchburg  Sentinel. 

We  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  them  superior  to  anything 
of  the  kind  ever  issued.  —  Star  Spangled  Banner. 

FRENCH'S    PRACTICAL    WRITING    BOOK,    for 

the  use  of  Schools  and  Academies ;  in  Three  Numbers,  with  a 

copy  for  each  page. 

No.  1,  Commencing  with  the  First  Principles 10 

No.  2,  Running-hand  copies  for  Business  Purposes 10 

No.  3,  Very  fine  copies,  together  with  German  Text  and  Old  Eng- 
lish  10 

6 


JAMES  FRENCH   AND    CO.'S   PUBLICATIONS. 
• 

This  work  is  of  a  useful  character,  evidently  illustrating  an  ex- 
cellent system.  We  have  already  spoken  of  it  in  terms  of  appro- 
bation. —  Journal. 

This  little  work  of  his  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  useful  publi- 
cations of  the  kind  that  we  have  seen.  —  Transcript. 

BEAUTIES  OF  WRITING,  containing  twenty  large 
specimens  of  Ornamental  Penmanship,  Pen  Drawing,  and  off-hand 
Flourishing 75 

BOSTON  COPY-BOOK  ;  comprising  nearly  two  hundred 
engraved  copies,  for  the  use  of  Schools  and  Academies.  .  .  42 

LADIES'  COPY-BOOK,  containing  many  beautiful  en- 
graved copies,  which  are  a  perfect  imitation  of  the  natural  hand- 
writing ;  also  including  German  Text  and  Old  English.  .  .  17 

BOSTON  ELEMENTARY  COPY-BOOK,  comprising 
large  and  small  Text  Hand,  for  Schools 12£ 

COOK'S  MERCANTILE  SYSTEM  OF  PENMAN- 
SHIP. Fourth  Revised  Edition 37$ 

THE  ART  of  PEN-DRAWING,  containing  examples 
of  the  usual  styles,  adorned  with  a  variety  of  Figures  and  Flour- 
ishes, executed  by  command  of  hand.  Also  a  variety  of  Orna- 
mental Penmanship .75 


MISCELLANEOUS  AND  JUVENILE. 

TURKEY  AND  THE  TURKS,  by  Dr.  J.  V.  C.  Smith, 
Mayor  of  Boston.     320  pages.     12mo.     Cloth.        .     .-    .     .     75 

It  is  a  most  excellent  work.  It  will  have  a  large  sale,  for  it 
embraces  more  real  information  about  real  Turks  and  their  strange 
peculiarities  than  anything  we  have  yet  read. — Post. 

2 


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